TRANSPORT

A27

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of changes to traffic levels on the Lancing to Worthing section of the A27 since the publication of the last Inspector's report recommending a by-pass;
	(2)  what level of priority he attaches to providing a by-pass for the Lancing to Worthing stretch of the A27; and when it will feature in future planned works.

David Jamieson: The problem of traffic congestion on the Lancing to Worthing stretch of the A27 was the subject of detailed analysis as part of the South Coast Multi Modal Study (SoCoMMS). Assessment of past and future traffic levels in this section was undertaken as part of the SoCoMMS work and the Worthing Lancing Integrated Transport Study. We are currently considering the recommendations of the SoCoMMS study, as put to us by the Regional Assembly, with a view to making decisions on the way ahead in the near future.

A27

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what improvements to traffic flow (a) have been made in the last five years and (b) are planned for the Lancing to Worthing section of the A27; and if he will provide relevant supporting figures.

David Jamieson: In June 2001 the A27 Worthing Transport Study, commissioned by the Government Office for the South East, identified small scale local solutions to address the problems in the A27 trunk road corridor through Worthing and Lancing.
	As a result of this report the Highways Agency intends to implement a series of improvements along the A27 corridor as part of a short term strategy including traffic calming of local roads and enhancements for users of public transport, walkers and cyclists.

Air Travel (Health)

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what (a) research his Department has conducted and (b) action has been taken related to the recent outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome and the air industry.

David Jamieson: My Department has not carried out any specific research into severe acute respiratory syndrome as this is a public health issue. My Department would advise travellers that although no restrictions on travel are currently being recommended, they should be aware of the symptoms and seek urgent medical advice should they develop them.

Air Travel (Health)

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what research has been conducted into the link between ill-health from infection and travelling by plane; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what role the unit for addressing health issues affecting air passengers and crew announced by his Department on 6 March will have in examining the relationship between ill-health from infection and travelling by plane; what other work is (a) being conducted and (b) planned into this relationship; and if he will make a statement.

David Jamieson: Research by Building Research Establishment (BRE) Ltd., commissioned by my Department and the Department of Health and entitled the "Study of possible effects on health of aircraft cabin environments—Stage 2", reviewed the published research on the transmission of infection and listed the papers of significance.
	The Aviation Health Unit, announced on 6 March and to be based at Gatwick, will become a centre of expertise on health issues affecting air passengers and crew. The unit will be involved in reviewing the BRE recommendations on infection and travelling by aircraft and will propose appropriate further research as needed.

Air Travel (Health)

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what (a) legislation and (b) regulations govern travel by people with suspected infectious ill-health (i) from and within the UK and (ii) arriving in the UK on board aircraft;
	(2)  what (a) legislation there is and (b) measures are taken to prevent travellers with suspected infectious ill-health from travelling (i) from the UK and (ii) to the UK on board aircraft.

David Jamieson: The Public Health (Aircraft) Regulations 1979 (S.I. 1979/1434) require the commander of an incoming aircraft to notify the port health authority at the first port of landing if the crew become aware that there is a person on board who is suffering from, or has symptoms which may indicate the presence of, an infectious disease. In the case of outgoing aircraft on an international flight, the medical officer at the airport may examine any person who proposes to embark if he has reasonable grounds for believing him to be suffering from a disease subject to the International Health Regulations of the World Health Organisation (ie cholera, plague, smallpox and yellow fever) and must prohibit his embarkation if he shows symptoms of such a disease. In addition, an airline may, under the terms of its Conditions of Carriage, refuse boarding to any passenger if they consider his mental or physical state is a danger to himself, the aircraft or any person in it.

Correspondence

Desmond Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he will answer the letters of 5 December 2002 and 25 January 2003 from M. J. Mundy of the Hampshire Advocacy Group for the Partially Sighted in Southampton.

David Jamieson: A reply has been sent to Mr. Mundy. In addition, Ministers have written to a number of Hampshire MPs in recent weeks in response to correspondence they have received from Mr. Mundy raising concerns on behalf of Hampshire Advocacy Group for the Partially Sighted.

Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many names and addresses of vehicle (a) owners and (b) keepers have been disclosed over the last two years by the DVLA to a third party by virtue of that party showing reasonable cause for the disclosure; and if he will make a statement on (i) the number of cases where disclosure was made but was subsequently shown to be not for a reasonable cause and (ii) the action taken in such cases.

David Jamieson: The DVLA vehicle register is a record of vehicle keepers—the person responsible for paying vehicle excise duty. It does not contain details of the person who actually owns the vehicle. The number of 'reasonable cause' enquiries resulting in the disclosure of keeper details during the last two years is as follows:
	
		
			  
		
		
			 2001–02 937,125 
			 2002–03 779,559 
		
	
	The majority of requests are from insurance companies and finance houses in respect of insurance claims and vehicle-related loan arrangements. The remainder are from solicitors, car parking enforcement companies and members of the public.
	The Information Commissioner has powers under the Data Protection Act to prosecute anyone who knowingly or recklessly obtains information without consent. Any disclosure subsequently used for a purpose other than that stated in the application is referred to the Commissioner to investigate. Two such cases were referred in the past year.

First Great Western

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions he had with First Great Western in advance of their decision to shut Paddington Station over the Easter weekend.

David Jamieson: None. Network Rail is responsible for the management of engineering possessions, under arrangements overseen by the Rail Regulator. I understand that Network Rail has consulted with First Great Western, as required under the possessions regime, regarding the major re-signalling of the approaches to Paddington over that weekend.

Household Spending

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his estimate is of average UK household spending on (a) motoring, (b) rail travel and (c) bus travel, in each year from 1980–81 to 2002–03, using real terms prices at 2000–01 levels; and if he will make a statement.

David Jamieson: The information requested is set out in the following table.
	
		Average weekly UK household expenditure on motoring, rail and tube fares and bus and coach fares: 1980 to 2000–01 -- £ per week
		
			  2000–01 prices 
			  Motoring expenditure Rail andtube fares Bus andcoach fares 
		
		
			 1980 33.60 2.02 2.82 
			 1981 34.48 1.76 2.50 
			 1982 34.05 1.65 2.53 
			 1983 35.44 1.86 1.96 
			 1984 36.60 1.67 2.00 
			 1985 37.54 1.34 1.85 
			 1986 37.16 1.28 1.86 
			 1987 40.02 1.50 1.92 
			 1988 40.57 1.67 1.91 
			 1989 45.23 1.37 1.98 
			 1990 45.95 1.48 1.67 
			 1991 43.78 1.23 1.60 
			 1992 44.11 1.45 1.55 
			 1993 44.19 1.43 1.63 
			 1994–95 42.63 1.26 1.57 
			 1995–96 42.22 1.46 1.43 
			 1996–97 45.91 1.44 1.54 
			 1997–98 50.30 1.48 1.45 
			 1998–99 54.14 1.95 1.37 
			 1999–2000 54.13 1.90 1.47 
			 2000–01 55.09 2.01 1.41 
		
	
	Note:
	Fares do not include combined tickets, amounting to £0.91 in 2000–01.
	Source:
	Family Expenditure Survey, ONS

London Underground

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to his answer of 12 March 2003, Official Report, columns 254–6, on London Underground, if he will provide figures for each (a) month and (b) week since March 2002 for which figures are available.

David Jamieson: The information is not readily available in the form requested and could be assembled only at disproportionate cost. Information is, however, available on an annual basis and was set out in my answer of 12 March 2003, Official Report, columns 254–6W.

Ministerial Transport

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list internal flights made by Ministers in his Department in 2002, including in each case the (a) cost, (b) departure location and (c) destination; and of these how many were (i) first class, (ii) business class and (iii) economy class.

David Jamieson: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Minister of State, Cabinet Office on 22 January 2003, Official Report, column 334W in response to the hon. Member for Yeovil (Mr. Laws) and my response to the hon.Member for West Chelmsford (Mr Burns) on 5 March 2003, Official Report, column 1033W.

Motorway Congestion Charging

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the total length of the motorway was that the Commission for Integrated Transport found would be the main area of congestion charging as defined on page 35 of 'Paying for Road Use: Technical report February 2002'; if he will list the junctions of the motorway network that would define the main areas of charging; and if he will make a statement.

David Jamieson: As the technical report prepared for the Commission for Integrated Transport indicates, their consultants' central case, on the modelling assumptions adopted, implies that charging would apply to about 10 per cent. (some 350 kms) of the motorway network. The report indicates the areas where the charge would apply, but does not identify specific junctions. CfiTs reports are produced independently of the Department and do not represent Government policy.

Motorways

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the 10 most congested English motorway stretches; and if he will make a statement.

David Jamieson: I have asked the Chief Executive of the Highways Agency to write to the hon. Member.
	Letter from Tim Matthews to Mr. David Laws, dated 25 March 2003
	I have been asked by David Jamieson to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking him to list the ten stretches of motorways in England experiencing the most congestion.
	The Department for Transport and the Highways Agency uses long-established modelling techniques to assess road network congestion, and to forecast future congestion depending upon a range of traffic growth and transport infrastructure investment assumptions. A traditional output of this work is a three-banded "stress map" indicating those parts of the network that are experiencing peak and off-peak congestion. The latest available version of the map estimating the effect of congestion was published in the Ten Year Plan for Transport.
	This modelling method is not designed to rank individual motorway links within the congestion bandings. To obtain a measure of congestion on individual motorway links consistent with most congestion indicators, it would be necessary to measure journey times and speeds as they vary hour-by-hour and day-by-day. Regular network-wide measurement of journey times at this level of detail has not been carried out in the past, mainly because of the extremely high costs that would be involved. However, the opening of the Traffic Control Centre next year will greatly improve our knowledge of traffic conditions and will lead to comprehensive information on journey times and speeds being made generally available to the travelling public.

No-fly Zones (Scotland)

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what (a) commercial and (b) military no-fly zones have been in operation in Scotland since 15 September 2002; and what are planned for the remainder of 2003;
	(2)  if he will amend the no-fly zone status for commercial and military flights over areas in Scotland that contain petro-chemical plants and nuclear facilities;
	(3)  what plans there are to amend the no-fly zone status for commercial and military flights over towns in Scotland during the current Gulf conflict.

David Jamieson: I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 4 February 2003, Official Report, columns 140–41W.
	No further restricted airspace has been imposed in Scotland since 15 September 2002. It is expected that temporary restrictions on flying will be imposed in regard to certain air displays in 2003, but such events are only provisional at the current time.

Rail Links (Edinburgh)

Bill Tynan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what (a) financial and (b) other forms of support his Department is providing to the work being carried out by the Scottish Executive in respect of rail links to Edinburgh and Glasgow airports.

David Jamieson: The Department and the Strategic Rail Authority provided support during the economic and engineering study process for the rail link options, which included some financial support and the provision of technical expertise. We will continue to work closely with the Executive on airport issues and the SRA will continue to provide technical expertise as the work on the rail links progresses.

Road Safety

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to his letter of 13 December 2002 to the hon. Member for Wycombe, what research his Department has conducted into the effectiveness of various methods of providing conspicuity lighting for vehicles during daylight hours.

David Jamieson: The Department for Transport has conducted two pieces of research into the effectiveness of daytime conspicuity lighting. In 1991 The Transport Research Laboratory were commissioned to carry out a study into daytime conspicuity lights and in 1998 to assess the report of research into daytime running lamps commissioned by the EU Commission.
	Copies of the two TRL reports, "Daytime Conspicuity Lights" and "Review of SWOV Report on Effectiveness of Daytime Running Lights" have been placed in the Libraries of the House.

Safety Regulation Group

Gwyneth Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what percentage of the Safety Regulation Group's total yearly funding is received from the aviation industry.

David Jamieson: The Civil Aviation Authority's Safety Regulation Group receives 96 per cent. of its yearly funding from the aviation industry. The remainder derives from the CAA's work overseas and work done on behalf of my Department.

Traffic Commission (Licences)

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will review the criteria used by the Traffic Commission when issuing operator licences to enable the Commissioner to assess the environmental impact of the licensed vehicles on the local communities through which they are likely to be driven; and if he will make a statement.

David Jamieson: In deciding applications for goods vehicle operators' licences, Traffic Commissioners are able to take into account the effect on the local environment which may result from the use of land as an operating centre. Factors may include noise, fumes, pollution, vibration and visual intrusion. We have no plans to review these criteria. Local traffic authorities and planning authorities are responsible for dealing with the wider environmental impact of traffic on local communities.

Websites

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the total cost of his Department's website was in the last 12 months; and how many hits it received in the same period.

David Jamieson: The estimated total cost of the DfT website (www.dft.gov.uk) from 1 June 2002 to 31 March 2003 is £752,000. This includes staff costs, development and HTML conversion costs. It also includes the capital costs of developing a new website, which aims to provide my Department with an improved more customer-focused website in terms of design, navigation and information retrieval. The new website, which is under development, accounts for 70 per cent. of total costs.
	DfT did not exist as a separate department for the period March-May 2002. Calculation of an accurate transport percentage of costs for that period could be done only at disproportionate cost.
	During the period 1 July (when statistics were first available for the DfT website) to 19 March 2003 the total number of page impressions (used as a measure of 'hits') was 13,352,742.

West Coast Main Line (ATP)

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has that trains on the upgraded West Coast mainline will operate with automatic train protection systems.

David Jamieson: We are committed to introducing the European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS). However, at present, ERTMS is insufficiently developed or proven for use on a high capacity, mixed use railway such as the West Coast main line. The modernisation of the line is therefore being taken forward with protection provided by the Train Protection and Warning System (TPWS), as originally planned and now installed, with additional protection at higher speed junctions.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Iraq

Richard Bacon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement about the situation in Iraq.

Mike O'Brien: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given earlier in the House today by my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary to my hon. Friend the Member for Erewash (Liz Blackman).

Iraq

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what commitment he will make to compliance with UN Resolution 1325 in any post-conflict reconstruction in Iraq.

Mike O'Brien: We are fully committed to UN Security Council Resolution 1325 and are working on its implementation with the UN Secretariat, agencies and NGOs. We have mainstreamed gender into our peace-keeping and reconstruction activities, for instance in Afghanistan and Sierra Leone and expect to do the same in Iraq.

Iraq

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has on when the Government of Iraq first used chemical weapons against its own people.

Mike O'Brien: Iraq used chemical weapons against its own people in the attack on Halabja in 1988. There are allegations that Iraq has used chemical weapons on other occasions. Given the circumstances in Iraq, Halabja is the only attack on Iraqi civilians which we have been able to verify beyond any doubt.

Iraq

Peter Kilfoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many times during the inspections in Iraq carried out prior to 1998 the Iraqi Government was recorded by the UN as non-cooperative, broken down by (a) minor delays and (b) actual inspection refusals.

Mike O'Brien: UNSCOM did not routinely report all instances of Iraqi non-cooperation. Only the more serious cases were formally reported. They did, however, regularly report that they were not receiving full cooperation from Iraq. Their regular reports to the UN Security Council and, more particularly, the final report produced by Richard Butler in March 1999, which is available in the House of Commons Library, show a systematic effort to frustrate inspectors throughout the 1990s.

Iraq

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has received a copy of the Iraqi declaration to the United Nations of 7 December 2002; if he will place a copy in the Library; and if he will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: A copy of the declaration was provided to us by the United Nations a few days after it was produced by the Government of Iraq. It was subsequently studied in detail by officials.
	I am withholding the information requested under exemption 1C of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information (information received in confidence from Foreign Governments, Foreign Courts or International Organisations).

Iraq

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the governments of (a) Commonwealth countries and (b) British Overseas Territories regarding the crisis in Iraq.

Mike O'Brien: We regularly have discussions with Commonwealth Governments and those of the British Overseas Territories about a wide range of foreign policy issues, including the crisis in Iraq.

Iraq

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to his answer of 18 March 2003, Official Report, column 725W, on Iraq, what action the Government have taken since UN Resolution 57/232 was passed to deploy human rights monitors in Iraq.

Mike O'Brien: Saddam Hussein's regime refused to allow human rights monitors to be stationed in Iraq, despite repeated urging by the international community. For the 10 years prior to February 2002, it would not even allow into Iraq the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights.

Middle East

Tony Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the Government's activities in seeking a Middle East peace settlement.

Mike O'Brien: As I have already indicated; our aim is for the Middle East Peace Process to create two states, Israel and Palestine, side by side, both at peace.

Middle East

James Purnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent steps he has taken to promote dialogue between Israel and the Palestinian Authority.

Mike O'Brien: We held a conference in London on 14 January to encourage Palestinian reform, which the Israelis say is necessary for progress. We are also closely engaged with both parties in encouraging the peace process.

Middle East

Derek Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when the first meeting on the road map for Palestine and Israel will take place.

Mike O'Brien: The Quartet will present the roadmap, as agreed by them on 20 December 2002, to both parties once Abu Mazen has been confirmed as Palestinian Prime Minister. We expect this to happen shortly. The Quartet will then discuss implementation of the road map with the parties. We look to both of them to implement the steps it sets out with speed, vigour and determination. Direct meetings between the parties, for example on security issues, are part of this process.

Middle East

Bob Blizzard: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the proposed road map for resolution of the Israel-Palestine conflict.

Mike O'Brien: The Quartet road map is an internationally agreed series of steps which lead to a comprehensive settlement of the Arab/Israeli dispute in 2005, as envisaged by President Bush in his 14 June speech last year. There is no other way forward. We support the efforts of the Quartet partners to get the road map published and implemented as soon as possible and call on all the parties concerned to co-operate fully with them to these ends.

Middle East

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the middle east peace process.

Mike O'Brien: A peace process can best be restarted through early publication and implementation of the Quartet road map. We are doing all we can to secure this.

EU Asylum and Immigration Policy

Dari Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his counterparts in the EU on strengthening cooperation on asylum and immigration policy in Europe.

Bill Rammell: In Geneva last week I held discussions on the UK's ideas for improving asylum policy in Europe with my Spanish and Finish counterparts and with Ruud Lubbers, UN High Commissioner for Refugees.
	My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister proposed a UK initiative on asylum to the European Council on 21 March. The initiative aims at better global management and protection of asylum seekers through improved regional management of migration flows, and the creation of processing centres on transit routes to Europe. The council invited the commission to explore the UK's ideas further and report back to the Thessaloniki European Council in June.
	The Foreign Office is working very closely with the Home Office, as the lead Department, on this agenda. My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary and Home Office Ministers have regular meetings with their opposite numbers. EU Interior Ministers will discuss the UK's ideas at the EU Justice and Home Affairs Council on 28–29 March.

UK-Turkish Relations

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on bilateral UK diplomatic relations with Turkey.

Denis MacShane: Bilateral UK diplomatic relations with Turkey are strong. Turkey is important to us: as a NATO ally, an EU candidate, a developing market economy and an influential regional power. Contacts at both ministerial and official level are frequent and cover a wide range of issues of international and domestic importance.

Sri Lanka

Mr. Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to meet Sri Lankan Ministers involved in the peace process in Sri Lanka; and if he will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: I met two Ministers who lead the Sri Lankan Government's negotiating team (Prof. G. L. Peiris and Milinda Moragoda) during my visit to Colombo in January and plan to meet Prof. Peiris again on 27 March. We continue to maintain regular contact with key players in the peace process. We also provide practical help, including drawing on our Northern Ireland experience, on security sector transformation and devolution, and have funded the appointment of a human rights adviser to the negotiating teams.

Cayman Islands

Alan Beith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 17 March 2003, Official Report, column 35WS, on the Cayman Islands, if he will set out the extent of his ministerial responsibilities in respect of the (a) appointment, (b) resignation and (c) term of office of the Attorney-General of the Cayman Islands.

Mike O'Brien: The Governor of the Cayman Islands is responsible for the appointment (which may be for a specified term) of the Attorney-General of the Cayman Islands and for dealing with any voluntary early departure. These responsibilities are conferred on the Governor by the Constitution of the Cayman Islands, which also protects the Attorney-General from removal from office except in accordance with a procedure involving an independent judicial tribunal. It is customary for the Governor to exercise these responsibilities in consultation with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Children (Interrogation)

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what guidelines are given under the International Convention on the Rights of the Child on the interrogation of children under 10 in respect of the alleged illegal activities of their parents.

Hilary Benn: I have been asked to reply.
	"Provision of Therapy for Child Witnesses Prior to a Criminal Trial: Practice Guidance" was issued by the Home Office, the Crown Prosecution Service and the Department of Health in 2001 to assist child care professionals and lawyers. It refers to Article 3 of the United Nations Convention which make the best interests of the child a primary consideration and Article 12 which gives children the right to express themselves and to be heard.
	Detailed guidance on planning and conducting interviews with children, including very young children, was issued to the police in 2002 (Achieving Best Evidence in Criminal Proceedings).
	Neither document refers specifically to the questioning of children about the alleged activities of their parents.

Departmental Staff

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his estimate is of the change in staff numbers within the FCO between 1999–2000 and 2003–04 (planned); where additional staff will be deployed; and if he will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office estimates that it will have an additional 553 staff (an increase of 9 per cent.) since 1999–2000. The deployment of the additional staff will be decided after it is clear exactly what funding is available based on the need in the FCO.

External Reports

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list (a) the title and subject, (b) the total cost to his Department and (c) the commissioned author or organisation of each external report commissioned by his Department in each year since 1997.

Bill Rammell: Budgets are devolved to individual Directorates within the FCO and also to posts overseas so we do not hold this information centrally. It would therefore be available only at disproportionate cost.

France

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on bilateral diplomatic relations with France.

Denis MacShane: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Lichfield (Michael Fabricant), today in the House (PQ104466).

Gibraltar

Tom Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the Government of Spain regarding Gibraltar; and what subjects were discussed.

Denis MacShane: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Romford (Mr. Rosindell) on 24 February 2003, Official Report, column 250W.

India

Rob Marris: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what indication he has had from the Indian Government of when it will sign the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty.

Mike O'Brien: We regularly discuss with the Indian Government the issue of their accession to the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty. To date, they have given no firm indication of an intention to accede.

International Criminal Tribunal for theFormer Yugoslavia

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what measures the UK is taking in conjunction with the Serbian and Montenegrin governments and the authorities in Republica Srpska to bring Serb indictees to the war crimes tribunal in the Hague.

Denis MacShane: The British Government strongly supports the work of the International Criminal Tribunal for Yugoslavia (ICTY) and its efforts to bring all indictees to the War Crimes Tribunal. We work closely with our international partners and in Stabilisation Force (SFOR) and Kosovo Force (KFOR) to trace and detain indicted war crime suspects in Bosnia and Kosovo. In March 2003, the Office of the High Representative, in co-operation with SFOR, froze the assets of two individuals suspected of being part of Radovan Karadzic's support network. The UK supports this action.
	It is entirely the responsibility of the Serbian and Montenegran (SaM) authorities to transfer any indictees on their territory to the ICTY. We urge the new SaM government to fulfil their obligations in this respect and will support them in doing so.

Zoran Djindjic

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the assistance being offered to the Serbian Government in the aftermath of the assassination of Zoran Djindjic.

Denis MacShane: HMG condemns the 12 March assassination of Zoran Djindjic and sends its condolences to his widow, his children and the people of Serbia.
	Since his assassination, HMG has funded the provision of equipment to the Serbia organised crime squad. On 19 March the EU GAERC supported the accession of Serbia and Montenegro to the Council of Europe on the basis of commitments requested by the Council of Europe including co-operation with the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY).
	Over the coming weeks, the UK and our EU and other Partners will consider what further measures could be taken to aid progress on reform, including tackling extremists, ICTY and organised crime.

PRIME MINISTER

Downing Street Staff

David Laws: To ask the Prime Minister what the (a) cost and (b) staffing of the (i) No 10 Policy Directorate, (ii) European and Foreign Policy Advisers Office, (iii) No. 10 Press Office, (iv) Strategic Communications Unit, (v) Corporate Communications Division, (vi) Prime Minister's Office and (vii) Research and Information Unit were in each year from 1995–96 to 2003–04 (planned); and if he will make a statement.

Tony Blair: The total cost of the Prime Minister's Office was as follows:
	
		
			  £ million 
		
		
			 1997–98 6.9  
			 1998–99 8.7  
			 1999–2000 10.4  
			 2000–01 11.8  
			 2001–02 13  
		
	
	The number of staff on the No. 10 payroll was as follows.
	
		
			  Number of staff 
		
		
			 1 April 1998 121 
			 1 April 1999 132 
			 1 April 2000 153 
			 1 April 2001 175 
			 1 April 2002 190 
		
	
	The No. 10 Policy Directorate was created in June 2001, following the merger of the No. 10 Private Office and the Policy Unit. At 1 April 2002, there were 27 policy advisers. The running cost for 2001–02 was £1,717,338.
	The European and Foreign Policy Adviser's Office was also created in June 2001. At 1 April 2002, there were five policy advisers, and Sir David Manning and Sir Stephen Wall who also head Secretariats in the Cabinet Office. The running cost for 2001–02 was £272,838.
	For the No. 10 Press Office, I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 3 February 2003, Official Report, column 17W.
	The Strategic Communications Unit was created in 1998. It handles longer-term communications, including the scheduling of Government announcements, and liaison with the specialist and regional media. For each year the total running costs were:
	
		
			  £ 
		
		
			 1997–98 (for 3 months) 77,633 
			 1998–99 716,672 
			 1999- 2000 838,421 
			 2000–01 957,302 
			 2001–02 565,590 
		
	
	The number of staff in the Unit was as follows:
	
		
			  Number of staff 
		
		
			 1 April 1998 7 
			 1 April 1999 9 
			 1 April 2000 6 
			 1 April 2001 6 
			 1 April 2002 8 
		
	
	The Corporate Communications Division which includes the Direct Communications Unit was created in 2001. The Division deals with my correspondence and last year dealt with over one million letters. It also works with Departments on communications from Government to the public, stakeholders and staff and runs the No. 10 website. At 1 April 2002 there were 27 members of staff. The running cost for 2001–02 was £875,128.
	The Research and Information Unit was created in 1999. It provides a single information resource at No. 10, providing policy briefing, library resources and reference material for the Prime Minister and No. 10 staff. For each year the total running costs were as follows.
	
		
			  £ 
		
		
			 1999–2000 255,575 
			 2000–01 432,556 
			 2001–02 413,472 
		
	
	The number of staff in the Unit on the No. 10 payroll was:
	
		
			  Number of staff 
		
		
			 1 April 1999 2 
			 1 April 2000 5 
			 1 April 2001 8 
			 1 April 2002 8 
		
	
	Staff numbers and costs before these dates are not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Media

Norman Baker: To ask the Prime Minister if he will list the complaints made by him and his staff against (a) individual journalists and (b) media outlets since July 2001.

Tony Blair: We do not keep records of this kind. The Government have a good working relationship with the media.

Media

Norman Baker: To ask the Prime Minister if he will amend the Ministerial Code to prevent Ministers from attempting (a) to procure or prevent the appointment of any individual journalist to a position in the media and (b) to secure the promotion or dismissal of any individual journalist.

Tony Blair: I have seen no evidence that any of the activities have occurred and therefore see no need to amend the code.

TREASURY

Aerospace Industry

Mark Prisk: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the value of UK civil aerospace (a) imports and (b) exports was in each year since 1997.

Ruth Kelly: Imports and exports of aerospace goods for the period 1997–2002 are as follows:
	
		Aerospace goods* -- £ million
		
			  Exports Imports 
		
		
			 1997 2,135 3,730 
			 1998 2,434 4,008 
			 1999 3,723 3,823 
			 2000 4,637 4,418 
			 2001 4,811 5,867 
			 2002 4,308 7,268 
		
	
	* Includes the following where for civil use: powered aircraft, non-powered aircraft (e.g. gliders), helicopters, ground flying trainers; parts of the foregoing.
	Note:
	Data includes both EU and non-EU trade.

Bee Discuss Insurance Ltd

Christopher Chope: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the future regulation of Bee Discuss Insurance Ltd. by the Financial Services Authority.

Ruth Kelly: Under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000, the detailed operation of the regulation of financial services is the responsibility of the Financial Services Authority.

Certified Wood Products

Joan Walley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the potential for revision of EU tax regulations to permit a reduction in the rate of VAT charged on independently certified wood products; and if he will make a statement.

John Healey: Under long-standing formal agreements with our European partners, we are only permitted to introduce reduced rates of VAT for a prescribed list of goods and services set out in Annex H of the Sixth VAT Directive. Independently certified wood products are not currently among the items included on this list. The provisions for VAT reduced rates are to be reviewed by the European Commission during 2003. We will consider any potential changes to these provisions in due course in the context of this review.

Charities

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much was paid in VAT by registered charities in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

John Healey: Customs and Excise does not hold data about the charitable status of VAT-registered traders and therefore has no estimate of the VAT paid by registered charities.

Child Benefit

Si�n Simon: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what guidance he gives on interpretation of the terms (a) not ordinarily resident and (b) ordinarily resident, used in Part 6 of The Child Benefit (General) Regulations 2003 (SI 493 of 2003).

Dawn Primarolo: The term ordinarily resident is not new. It is used for working families tax credit now and will be carried forward for working tax credit and child tax credit from April 2003. As part of the alignment of the rules for child benefit with those for the new tax credits, the same test is to be applied to new claims for child benefit after 6 April 2003.
	The term ordinarily resident has been the subject of previous judicial interpretation and its meaning is well established. Essentially, it means that the person must have their settled home in the United Kingdom. For the vast majority of claimants, it will be obvious that their settled home is in the United Kingdom. For those with more complex circumstances, the Inland Revenue will ask any follow-up questions necessary to establish whether or not they are entitled to child benefit.
	Detailed guidance on the new residence rules for child benefit will be available on the Inland Revenue's website and from the Child Benefit Office (Customer Services) before the new rules come into force.

Child Benefit

David Willetts: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Romsey (Sandra Gidley), of 28 February 2003, Official Report, column 747W, on the child tax credit, what the source is for the estimate on child care tax credit take-up.

Dawn Primarolo: The estimate of the proportion of WFTC recipients using eligible child care who receive the child care tax credit is derived from table 2.9 on page 20 of the Department for Work and Pensions research report 181, Working Families' Tax Credit in 2001. A copy is available in the House of Commons Library.

Civil Contingency Planning

Paul Keetch: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on his Department's (a) responsibilities and (b) assets with regard to civil contingency planning; what funds are committed; what action he is taking within his Department to improve such planning; and what action he is taking in collaboration with other departments.

Ruth Kelly: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer given to him by the Minister of State, Cabinet Office on 21 March 2003.
	In conjunction with the Cabinet Office, HM Treasury is reviewing its areas of responsibility with regard to civil contingency planning. Areas likely for inclusion in this review encompass:
	Protecting art treasures (supported by Department for Culture Media and Sport)
	Banks and financial services (supporting Department for Trade and Industry)
	Government finance
	Restricting finance for international terrorism (supporting the Foreign and Commonwealth Office)
	Sequestration of foreign assets (supported by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office)
	Transport co-ordination and support (supporting Department for Transport)
	Rationing (supporting the Cabinet Office, Department of Work and Pensions, and Home Office)
	HM Treasury's core asset is our staff expertise based in our Whitehall office accommodation. The department has substantially upgraded its business continuity arrangements and has established alternative back-up office accommodation and emergency working arrangements. These arrangements are periodically tested with a variety of crisis management scenarios to improve resilience. Resource for these activities continues to be found within the department's expenditure limit.

Fisheries

Alex Salmond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much tax was paid to the UK Treasury arising from the last fishing vessel decommissioning scheme.

John Healey: Grants payable for the decommissioning of fishing vessels may lead to increased taxable receipts by contributing either to a capital gain on the disposal of the vessel or to taxable profits arising from the trade. The amount of tax paid will depend upon the circumstances of the taxpayers concerned and cannot readily be estimated.

Departmental Crche Facilities

John Bercow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what crche facilities are provided by his Department and at what cost.

Ruth Kelly: The Treasury does not provide any crche facilities. The Department is a member of the Westminster Holiday Playscheme, which operates during school holidays and is open to children aged 4 to 12. The Treasury has two bespoke Playscheme rooms. The cost per child per day is 30 and the Treasury subsidises the costs for its staff by 60 per cent. Around 10 members of staff take up places for their children. Staff can also reclaim additional child care costs incurred, including the tax liability, if they have to work longer or later than normal.

Departmental Events

John Bercow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the (a) conferences, (b) seminars, (c) workshops, (d) exhibitions and (e) press conferences which have been sponsored by his Department and which took place on non-departmental premises in the last 12 months, broken down by title, purpose, date and cost.

Ruth Kelly: Records are not maintained centrally. Information in the format required could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Phone Directory

Andrew Turner: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when the most recent internal phone directory for the Department was published; how often it is updated; and if he will place a copy in the Library.

Ruth Kelly: The Treasury directory is held in electronic format and is no longer published. Members of staff are responsible for updating their own entries in the directory.
	The Treasury's key numbers are available publicly through publications such as the Civil Service Year Book, copies of which are available in the Library of the House. Inquiries can also be made via the Treasury switchboard on 020 7270 5000.

Employment Status Definition

Jim Cousins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he is taking to secure a common definition of employment status for tax, national insurance, tax credit and VAT purposes.

Dawn Primarolo: There is no statutory definition of employment or self-employment for income tax, national insurance, tax credits or VAT. The courts have considered the question on many occasions and have indicated the kind of factors which need to be taken into account in deciding whether a particular engagement is one of employment or self-employment. The common thread running through the case law is that no single factor is conclusive; for each engagement the whole picture needs to be looked at in the light of all the facts.
	The Inland Revenue interprets the courts' views consistently for the purposes of determining employment status for tax, national insurance and tax credits. Where the Inland Revenue has advised on a person's status that determination will usually apply for all three purposes. Customs and Excise generally follow the same interpretation and thus a consistent determination would apply for VAT purposes also.

Euro

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what economic studies have been undertaken of the potential effect on the economy of (a) Jersey, (b) Guernsey, (c) Gibraltar and (d) the Isle of Man, of monetary integration with the European Union.

Ruth Kelly: I refer the hon. Member to my answers to him on 25 February 2003, Official Report, column 383W, and 11 March 2003, Official Report, column 126W.

Euro

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the issue of Single European Currency has been discussed during meetings between government officials and representatives of Guernsey.

Ruth Kelly: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer given by the Chancellor of the Exchequer on 11 February 2002, Official Report, columns 104105W.

Health Inspectorates

Howard Flight: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the relationship between his Department and the (a) Commission for Healthcare Audit and Inspection and (b) Commission for Social Care Inspection.

Paul Boateng: The Chancellor announced the creation of two new independent inspectorates for health and social care in his budget statement 2002. The Commission for Healthcare Audit and Inspection and the Commission for Social Care Inspection will be established as non-departmental public bodies, independent of ministers, operating at arms length from the Government. They will each have a duty to report annually to Parliament on the state of health and social care. These independent assessments will strengthen public accountability and provide annual benchmarks of the quality of health and social care provision, and of the effectiveness of investment in public services.

Landfill Tax

David Ruffley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the landfill tax credit scheme funded projects in the Bury St. Edmunds constituency.

John Healey: Details of projects funded by the scheme are available from the scheme's regulator, ENTRUST whose address is as follows.
	ENTRUST Ltd.
	Suite 2, 5th Floor
	Acre House
	2 Town Square
	Sale
	M33 7WZ
	I have asked ENTRUST to write to the hon. Member with a response to his question.

National Insurance Contributions

Candy Atherton: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what special arrangements are in place for the payment of national insurance contributions for supermarket employees.

Dawn Primarolo: No special arrangements are in place for the payment of national insurance contributions (NICs) for supermarket employees. Like all employees, their employer deducts NICs from earnings of 89 or more. These contributions are paid to the Inland Revenue and recorded on the individual's national insurance account, providing entitlement to state pension and other contributory benefits.

Split Capital Investment Trusts

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what action he is taking to investigate mis-selling of split capital investment trusts; and what compensation is available for those who have been affected.

Ruth Kelly: The FSA has said that it is investigating allegations about both misleading marketing of split capital investment trusts and possible collusion between parties involved in this sector.
	Anyone who thinks they may have been affected by mis-selling should make a complaint to the authorised firm concerned. The firm will consider the complaint and may offer compensation. If the complainant is dissatisfied with the firm's response he or she may be eligible to take the complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service. The Ombudsman can order firms to pay compensation if he finds that the customer was treated unfairly.

Subsidiarity

William Cash: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement as to the legal basis for his policy to repatriate regional funds and policies from the EU to the UK.

Ruth Kelly: The European Community does not have exclusive competence for economic and social cohesion. As a result, under the rule of subsidiarity, the Community's actions in this area should be limited to what cannot sufficiently be achieved by the member states. The principle of subsidiarity is set out in Article 5 of the Treaty establishing the European Community. EU regional funding and policies under the EU Framework for Devolved Regional Policy as proposed in the Government's paper A Modern Regional Policy for the United Kingdom would have a legal base in Article 161 and other relevant articles of the same Treaty.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Departmental Travel

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list internal flights made by Ministers in her Department in 2002, including in each case the (a) cost, (b) departure location and (c) destination; and of these how many were (i) first class, (ii) business class and (iii) economy class.

Margaret Beckett: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my hon. Friend the Minister of State, Cabinet Office to the hon. Member for Yeovil (Mr. Laws) on 22 January 2003, Official Report, column 334W.
	I also refer the hon. Member to my earlier reply to the hon. Member for Chelmsford, West (Mr. Burns) on 11 February 2003, Official Report, column 645W.

Departmental Travel

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list each of the overseas trips made by herself and other members of her ministerial team in 2002; and what the (a) purpose and (b) cost of each trip was.

Margaret Beckett: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my hon. Friend the Minister of State, Cabinet Office to the hon. Member for Yeovil (Mr. Laws) on 22 January 2003, Official Report, column 334W.

Imported Chicken Products

Paul Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what guidance is issued by her Department regarding the import of chicken that has previously been frozen; what percentage of chicken products imported into this country she estimates have been previously frozen on slaughter; and what the health and safety risks of consuming previously frozen chicken are.

Hazel Blears: I have been asked to reply.
	I am advised by the Food Standards Agency that the import of chicken from countries outside the European Union is covered by detailed legal requirements. Chicken must be slaughtered and processed in countries and premises that meet strict food safety standards at least equivalent to those required within the EU. This includes temperature control requirements. Chicken can only be imported into the EU through designated border inspection posts following prior notification and is subject to documentary and identity checks and prescribed levels of physical checks. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has responsibility for this legislation and for any guidance issued.
	Chicken produced in other EU member states can be traded freely with other member states and is not subject to routine checks at United Kingdom ports.
	All food on sale, including imports, may be subject to food safety checks by local authorities.
	In 2001, 45 per cent. of UK imports of poultry meat from non-EU countries was frozen poultry carcass meat (source: Her Majesty's Customs and Excise).
	Frozen poultry meat may be contaminated with food-borne pathogens, such as salmonella and campylobacter, as a recent government survey of poultry meat on retail sale in the UK showed. Therefore it is important for consumers to be aware of the advice on safe storage, handling and preparation of raw poultry meat.

Nuclear Power

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what matters from its work programme remain to be reported on by the Radioactive Waste Management Advisory Committee; and if she will make a statement on the future of the Advisory Committee.

Michael Meacher: The Government's advisory machinery in the field of radioactive waste management is currently being reviewed in light of the decision to set up the new Committee on Radioactive Waste Management (CoRWM). Pending the outcome of this review, the existing Radioactive Waste Management Advisory Committee (RWMAC) is continuing with its current work programme. A joint study with the Health and Safety Commission's Nuclear Safety Advisory Committee (NuSAC) of current UK regulatory arrangements and a review of the potential of partitioning and transmutation techniques to aid radioactive waste management are the main items that remain to be published from this current programme.

Public Service Agreements

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to her answer of 13 February 2003, Official Report, column 884W, on Public Service Agreement, if she will publish the efficiency plans for each business area; and if she will make a statement.

Alun Michael: There are no plans to publish the efficiency plans of individual business areas as they are active management tools that contain sensitive staffing, commercial and operational information so It would not be appropriate to place them on the public record. This approach is consistent with part 2 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information. As part of the Department's business planning process, business areas have to demonstrate how they will make the efficiency savings that underpin the 2002 Spending Review settlement.

Recycling

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what percentage of printed newspapers were recycled in (a) 1995, (b) 2000, (c) 2001 and (d) 2002.

Michael Meacher: Information available from the Newspaper Publishers Association (NPA) show that recycled paper made up 63.5 per cent of the raw material for UK newspapers in 1995. The comparative figures for 2000 were 60.3 per cent and 63.5 per cent for 2001. Data for 2002 are not available.

Special Advisers

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many special advisers in the Department (a) have left and (b) will be leaving to work in Scotland for the Labour Party in the forthcoming Scottish parliamentary elections.

Margaret Beckett: The rules relating to Special Advisers' political activities are set out in the Model Contract for Special Advisers. Further guidance in respect of elections for the Scottish Parliament is set out at paragraph 13 of the Guidance on Conduct for Civil Servants in UK Departments, published by the Cabinet Office on 10 March.
	The reasons for a Special Adviser's resignation are a private matter between the Department and Adviser, and are therefore exempt from disclosure under paragraph 12 of the Code of Practice on Access to Information.

Volatile Organic Compounds

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress is being made in reducing emissions of volatile organic compounds from solvents.

Alun Michael: Total emissions of non-methane volatile organic compounds were estimated to be about 2,686 kilo tonnes in 1990 and had fallen to about 1,676 kilo tonnes in 2000. The National Emissions Ceiling Directive (2001/81/EC) requires that the UK reduces emissions to 1,200 kilo tonnes by 2010, and we expect to achieve this target.
	Of these totals, emissions from solvent use in 1990 were estimated to be about 665 kilo tonnes and 445 kilo tonnes in 2000.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Iraq

John Lyons: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many countries will be involved in the reconstruction of Iraq.

Clare Short: It is too soon to say how many countries might be involved. UN mandate will be required to provide legal authority for the reconstruction effort, and to make possible the engagement of the International Financial Institutions and the wider international community. The Government is working to ensure such a mandate is put in place.

Iraq

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent discussions she has had with her European counterparts regarding plans for humanitarian aid in Iraq following any military action.

Clare Short: My Department is in frequent contact with European Commission counterparts on these issues.
	On 21 March the College of European Commissioners proposed to release an additional 79 million euros from the Emergency Aid Reserve, increasing their total commitment to 100 million euros. This funding is still to be approved by the Council.

Palestinian Authority

Linda Perham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on the assistance the Government is providing for the reform of the Palestinian authority.

Clare Short: Institutional development, and capacity building, are key elements of DFID's programme of support to the Palestinian authority. We have worked with a number of ministries to help develop systems and skills which enable services to be better delivered. We have recently played a leading role in helping the Palestinian authority develop a comprehensive strategy for overall public administration and civil service reform. We are now discussing with them the detail of a further package of technical assistance which would support its implementation over the next three years. In addition we are providing legal advice and financial support for the development of a constitution for the nascent Palestinian state.

Zimbabwe

Ian Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on humanitarian help for Zimbabwe.

Clare Short: My Department has provided over 51 million in humanitarian assistance for Zimbabwe since the crisis began in September 2001. We are helping the World Food Programme to feed 5 million people, and our direct NGO programmes are providing supplementary food to 1.5 million morelargely children, ex-farm workers, pregnant and nursing women, people living with AIDS, and the elderly.
	DFID has built technical capacity in local NGOs and the UN agencies and has funded vulnerability assessments. We have helped prevent avoidable disease through essential drug supply, and have distributed seed and fertilizers to 188,000 households in communal areas, affecting the food prospects of 1 million people.
	Monitoring suggests that feeding interventions have been effective and have reached target populations. Malnutrition rates have been kept down, and mortality has not increased significantly despite the complete absence of food, other than food aid, in many districts. Despite high profile incidents at Insiza and Binga, there has been relatively little obstruction of food distribution. Politicisation remains a matter of concern in the Zimbabwe Government humanitarian programmes, but has not been a significant problem for donor-funded programmes.
	Sadly, it has been evident for some months that food production in Zimbabwe will be affected for a third year in succession. This is due to mismanaged land reform that has disrupted farming; economic policies and controls that are disincentive to production; the lack of agricultural inputs and credit; and erratic rains. We anticipate that continued international humanitarian assistance will be needed until 2004, and expect to maintain a significant role in protecting the vulnerable in Zimbabwe in the coming year.

DEFENCE

Departmental Website

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the total cost of his Department's website was in the last 12 months; and how many hits it received in the same period.

Lewis Moonie: Direct costs for the Ministry of Defence's departmental website: http://www.mod.uk are recorded for expenditure on hardware, contractual support and staff costs for the central MOD website team. Total costs for the financial year 200203 are 124,350.
	Usage of the MOD website began to be measured on a monthly basis in December 1997. The departmental website received 47,076,412 hits in the period December 2001 to December 2002.

EU Defence Policy

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the future of the European Common Defence and Security Policy.

Geoff Hoon: In co-operation with all other member states, we continue to make progress in developing the European Defence and Security Policy (ESDP).
	The detailed arrangements to implement the Berlin Plus agreement, giving the European Union assured access to NATO's planning capabilities and a presumption of availability of NATO common assets and capabilities, have recently been agreed by the EU and NATO. This is a major milestone in establishing the strategic partnership between the two organisations in crisis management that the UK has always envisaged. Agreement has enabled the EU to launch its first military mission in Macedonia at the end of this month, following on from NATO's Allied Harmony. The operation will be conducted with recourse to NATO assets and NATO Deputy SACEUR will be the Operation Commander.
	The EU has also indicated its willingness to lead a military operation in Bosnia and Herzegovina following SFOR. ESDP also includes civilian aspects of crisis management. The first civilian operation, the EU police mission to Bosnia, was launched on 1 January 2003.
	Progress has also been made on improving military capabilities. The European Capabilities Action Plan (ECAP) is addressing capability shortfalls against the targets in the Helsinki Headline Goal and the multi-national panels proposing solutions to meet each shortfall are in the process of issuing their final reports. Member states will take these suggestions forward on a voluntary basis and steps are being taken to establish project groups to assist with this. The recently concluded Berlin Plus arrangements also include a mechanism for ensuring that capability development within the EU and NATO is coherent and mutually reinforcing.
	We are also actively engaged in the debate on the future of ESDP in the Convention on the Future of Europe. The United Kingdom has put forward proposals intended to strengthen ESDP's capacity to play a full role in support of the EU's CFSP objectives including by: modernising and extending the categories of ESDP operations, known as the Petersberg tasks; establishing a European defence capabilities development and acquisition agency to drive forward European military capability improvements; and indicating support for a solidarity clause through which member states would undertake to use all the resources at their disposal, both civil and military, to help another member state deal with the consequences of a terrorist attack or other major disaster.
	We await publication of the draft Treaty clauses on defence issues. Final decisions on the new EU treaty are a matter for the Intergovernmental Conference in 2004.

Land Sales (Ashford)

Matthew Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to his answer of 17 March 2003, Official Report, column 530W, on Land Sales (Ashford), what the potential clawback in the sale of part of Ashford barracks to the Westbury Homes and Wimpey consortium was; and if he will make a statement.

Lewis Moonie: Templar  Rowcroft (Ashford) Barracks was sold to Westbury Homes and Wimpy Homes in April 2002 following a public competition. Full market value was achieved based on the site's allocation for residential and commercial development as set out in the adopted Ashford Local Plan 2000.
	I regret that my earlier answer of 17 March 2003, Official Report, column 530W, which referred to a clawback arrangement, was incorrect. The actual position is that 1 million was retained by the purchaser subject to no additional cost arising for clearance of contamination and noise issues. The payment of the retained sum is now subject to negotiation between the Ministry of Defence and the purchaser.

Reserve Forces

Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many reservists in Shrewsbury and Atcham have been called up from (a) the health profession, (b) the education profession, (c) transport services and (d) emergency services.

Lewis Moonie: Generally, Reservists are not required to provide details of their civilian employment to the Ministry of Defence until such time as they are called-out. Historically, therefore, no central records have been maintained by the MOD of the numbers of Reservists working in particular professions.
	Information about how many reservists have been called-out from a particular area is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Reserve Forces

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many mobilisation centres there are for each of the armed forces in (a) Middlesbrough, (b) Teesside and (c) the UK.

Lewis Moonie: Mobilisation centres vary depending on the operation undertaken. For Operation TELIC Royal Navy, Royal Marine and Army Reservists have reported for service at HMS Nelson or Reserve Training and Mobilisation Centre Chilwell. RAF Reservists have reported to the appropriate RAF unit. These are: RAF Coningsby, Cottesmore, Cranwell, Halton, Marham and Waddington.

Reserve Forces

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the average age is of reservists called up to each of the armed forces.

Lewis Moonie: The requested information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Reserve Forces

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what information is made available to Reservists at the time they sign up for Reserve Service in the armed forces about the financial measures in place following call-up.

Lewis Moonie: All Volunteer Reserve units should hold a copy of Joint Service Publication 516 (JSP 516) The Reserve Forces Act 1996. This publication summarises the Reserve Forces Act 1996, and details the financial assistance available to Reservists when they are mobilised for permanent service. In addition, full details are included with a Reservists' call-out notice, and many Volunteer Reserve units conduct briefings prior to call-out.

Reserve Forces

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what emergency measures are in place to ensure that reservists called up for regular service during times of conflict are not unduly penalised financially; and how these measures have changed since 1996.

Lewis Moonie: There are no emergency measures in place. Instead, the Reserve Forces Act 1996 introduced a system of payments to ameliorate the impact of call-out on reservists. An initial call-out gratuity of 395 is paid to cover any immediate costs arising from mobilisation. In addition, a reservists whose military salary is less than his civilian earnings may apply for financial assistance. This consists of a Standard Award that makes up the difference (within banded limits related to rank) between civilian and military salaries. If this is insufficient to avert serious financial difficulties, a reservist can also apply for a Hardship Award to cover essential outgoings such as mortgage repayments, school fees, or childcare costs. There is no limit on the amount of money that can be paid in a Hardship Award.
	The regulations governing financial assistance for reservists are contained in Statutory Instrument 309 of 1997 (The Reserve Forces (Call-Out and Recall) (Financial Assistance) Regulations 1997), and are currently under review.

Reserve Forces

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence at what point in the call up process reservists are given information about insurance schemes available to members of the armed forces.

Lewis Moonie: Reservists are provided with information about available insurance schemes when they receive their call-out notice. In addition, information is periodically given to members of the Volunteer Reserves about insurance schemes. Information is also held by most units of those forces.

Reserve Forces

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many reservists from (a) Middlesbrough, (b) Teesside and (c) the UK (i) have been called up, (ii) are in mobilisation centres for, and (iii) have been deployed to each of the armed forces.

Lewis Moonie: The requested information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	As at 18 March, 8,005 call-out notices had been issued, with 5,828 reservists having reported to their mobilisation point. 5,040 had been accepted into service. The overall requirement for reservists stands at 5,622.

Reserve Forces

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the (a) recommended and (b) average times are between reservists being called up for duty and their arrival at the designated mobilisation centre.

Lewis Moonie: Notice to report for compulsory call-out is set by operational requirements. Ideally, we would aim to give reservists 21 days notice to report for service. However, we cannot always achieve this and for Operation TELIC generally we were only able to give 14 days notice to report. We acknowledge that in some instances notice to report was considerably shorter, in the main this was due to postal problems or short notice changes in requirement.

Reserve Forces

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the (a) recommended time is and (b) average time has been between reservists' arrival at their designated mobilisation centre and their deployment.

Lewis Moonie: The time spent by Reservists at their designated mobilisation centre/unit before deployment is dependent on the training they require. The length of training is determined by the role of the Reservist and the operation they are to support.

Reserve Forces

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what counselling and support services are available to the partners and families of reservists who have been called up for action in any of the the armed forces; and what plans there are to extend existing counselling and support services to cater for the partners and families of reservists who have been called up for action in the armed forces.

Lewis Moonie: Reservists are provided with information on the counselling and support services which are available to their partners and families when they receive their call-out notice. All existing welfare systems that are available for Regular service personnel and their families are available to Reservists. In addition, with the Reservist's permission, we maintain contact with their employers.

Serbian War Criminals

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what actions are being taken by British forces on deployment in the Balkans to help bring Serb indictees to the war crimes tribunal in The Hague.

Denis MacShane: I have been asked to reply.
	I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him today.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

Employment Protection

Edward O'Hara: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans she has to give people who choose to work after the age of 65 the same employment protection as younger workers.

Alan Johnson: holding answer 24 March 2003
	The great majority of employment protection legislation already applies to older workers, whatever their age. We intend to review upper age limits on statutory redundancy payments and general unfair dismissal claims in the light of responses to the next public consultation on age discrimination, due to be launched this summer.

Pensions

Edward O'Hara: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what consultation the Government will hold with business before abolishing mandatory retirement ages as proposed in the Pensions Green Paper.

Patricia Hewitt: holding answer 24 March 2003
	The Pensions Green Paper stated that under the Directive, compulsory retirement ages are likely to be unlawful unless employers can show that they are objectively justified. By summer 2003, the Government will consult widely, including with business, on proposals around this and other aspects of the directive.

Post Office

Sue Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many post offices there are in each parliamentary constituency; and how many of them transact more than 40 per cent. of their work volumes on behalf of the Benefits Agency.

Stephen Timms: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Twickenham (Dr. Cable), on 9 January 2003, Official Report, column 299W.

Small Firms (Loan Guarantees)

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what review of the availability of the small firms loans guarantee scheme she has carried out; and what the outcome was.

Nigel Griffiths: Following a review of this scheme, its scope is being widened to include:
	expanding the sector coverage to include retail, catering, coal, hairdressing and beauty parlours, house and estate agents, libraries, museums and cultural activities, motor vehicle repair and servicing, steel and travel agents;
	increasing the maximum turnover limit for the service sector to 3 million;
	allow early borrowers to re-qualify for SFLGS support by excluding loans up to March 1993 from counting towards maximum loan amounts;
	currently we expect to guarantee 4,000 applications by the end of the financial year. In view of the charges we expect a 25 per cent. increase in applications from 1 April 2003.
	The changes come into effect from 1 April 2003.

Small Firms (Loan Guarantees)

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many loans were made under the small firms loans guarantee scheme in each region and nation of the UK in the last three financial years; and what the average size of loan was.

Nigel Griffiths: The following table shows the average loan size and the number of loans guaranteed under the Small Firms Loan Guarantee Scheme in each region and nation of the UK in the last three financial years:
	
		
			 Region 200001 200102 200203(1) 
		
		
			 East Midlands 368 373 284 
			 Eastern 495 397 306 
			 Greater London 325 312 301 
			 North East 151 126 111 
			 North West 396 451 376 
			 South East 476 517 481 
			 South West 475 444 341 
			 West Midlands 406 369 333 
			 Yorkshire and Humberside 320 334 263 
			 Northern Ireland 36 37 51 
			 Scotland 621 698 514 
			 Wales 243 211 201 
			 Total 4,312 4,269 3,562 
			 Average Loan Size 55,765 59,660 68,496 
		
	
	(1) To end February 2003

MINISTER FOR WOMEN

Domestic Violence

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Minister for Women pursuant to her answer of 3 March 2003, Official Report, column 804W, on domestic violence, if she will make a statement on the outcome of her correspondence with the Home Secretary regarding the central collection of domestic violence statistics.

Patricia Hewitt: holding answer 24 March 2003
	My correspondence with my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary on this topic has not yet reached a conclusion.
	A key issue for the collection of domestic violence statistics is under-reporting, and an inter-personal violence module was included in the 2001 British Crime Survey to obtain more detailed information on domestic violence using self-completion questionnaires. The preparation of a report on these findings is currently under way.

Equal Pay

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Minister for Women what Civil Service Departments and agencies are not on target for completing pay reviews to close any equal pay gaps; and if she will make a statement.

Patricia Hewitt: There are in excess of 90 Departments and agencies undertaking an equal pay review. We expect all the reviews to have been completed during April 2003.

EDUCATION AND SKILLS

A-level Courses

Win Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many students pursued A-level courses in (a) the public and (b) the private sector in each of the last five years; and what the average cost was to public funds of providing a place in each sector.

David Miliband: The number of students who pursued A-level courses in (a) the public sector and (b) private sector in each of the last five years are as follows:
	
		
			 Type of institution 199697 199798 199899 19992000 200001 
		
		
			 (a) Public sector  
			 Maintained schools 98,361 103,337 104,457 104,786 111,204 
			 FE Sector 62,299 62,409 60,146 57,912 59,352 
			 Total 162,657 167,744 166,602 164,698 172,557 
			 (b) Private sector  
			 Independent schools 29,682 29,867 26,649 28,578 28,777 
		
	
	The figures above are based on those students who were 17 years old at the beginning of the academic year in question.
	The following figures represent a range of funding per full-time student in different parts of the public sector. They are not directly comparable as they are not calculated on the same basis. The FE unit funding figure includes total public funding allocated for FE, while the schools' figures are based only on delegated funds and exclude other funding that schools receive centrally from LEAs that impact on post-16 students.
	
		Unit of funding in FE -- 
		
			  Total unit of funding 
		
		
			 199697* 3,050 
			 199798* 3,070 
			 199899* 3,120 
			 19992000* 3,440 
			 200001** 3,540 
		
	
	* Actual
	** Provisional
	
		Unit of funding in schools -- 
		
			  Total unit of funding 
		
		
			  
			  
			 199697* 3,200 
			 199798* 3,240 
			 199899* 3,370 
			 19992000* 3,500 
			 200001* 3,890 
		
	
	* Estimate
	There is no equivalent information available for the private sector.

Database Access

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills which databases and data sets key agencies have appropriate access to, as referred to in the document Making a differencereducing Red Tape and Bureaucracy in SchoolsSecond Report, published in March; and which agencies have had such access since October 2002.

Charles Clarke: Key partner agencies, and local education authorities, have access to the National Pupil Database. They can also interrogate Edubase, a database of information on schools. Local education authorities can also access the related Key to Success service.
	Since October 2002, the following organisations have accessed data: the Office for Standards in Education; the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority; the National College for School Leadership; the General Teaching Council; the British Eductaional Communications and Technology Agency; 149 local education authorities; and Service Children's Education.

Departmental Website

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the total cost of his Department's website was in the last 12 months; and how many hits it received in the same period.

Stephen Twigg: Core programme cost for the Department for Education and Skills central website in the last 12 months (April 2002 to March 2003) is 1,747,000.
	There is now wide acceptance amongst professionals in the web industry that hits are not a measure of site performance. So the Department, in line with the Government as a whole, gives more importance to unique visitors and page impressions than hits.
	Estimated site traffic for the last 12 months is as follows:
	Hits: 98.8 million
	Unique visitors: average 175,000 per month
	Page views: 76.3 million.

Excluded Children

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what percentage of excluded children (a) have received education in pupil referral units and (b) have had one on one home tuition in each year since 1995.

David Miliband: holding answer 24 March 2003
	The available information is shown in the table.
	
		Percentage distribution of mode of provision of education for excluded pupilsEngland
		
			  March 2000(2) September 2001(3) 
			  Key Stages 1 and 2 Key Stage 3 Key Stage 4 Total Key Stages 1 and 2 Key Stage 3 Key Stage 4 Total 
		
		
			 Pupil Referral Unit 40.8 45.1 39.1 41.0 44.7 51.0 46.6 47.6 
			 Home Tuition 32.3 24.0 11.0 16.8 30.8 20.3 9.6 14.1 
			 Voluntary Sector 0.2 0.1 0.8 0.5 0.0 0.8 1.5 1.2 
			 FE College  0.4 9.8 6.2  0.1 12.8 8.4 
			 Work related  0.1 3.3 2.1  0.1 5.1 3.4 
			 Mixed provision 4.3 5.6 16.7 12.3 5.1 4.8 7.5 6.6  
			 Other provision 9.6 8.7 8.8 8.9 11.1 9.0 7.6 8.3 
			 No Provision 12.7 16.1 10.4 12.3 8.2 13.9 9.3 10.4 
			 Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 
		
	
	(2) Based on replies from 144 out of 150 local education authorities.
	(3) Based on replies from 146 out of 150 local education authorities.

Internal Directorates (Costs)

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the allocated programme costs are for each internal directorate of his Department in (a) 200304, (b) 200405 and (c) 200506.

Charles Clarke: Details of allocated budgets up to 200506 were put to the House in the written statement I made on 19 December 2002, Official Report, column 67WS, and the Higher Education White Paper The Future of Higher Education (Cmnd 5735) published on 22 January. Additional information will be published in the Department for Education and Skills 2003 Departmental Report to be published in the spring, including how budgets are allocated to deliver the Department's functions and objectives.

Ministerial Visits (Scotland)

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what plans Ministers in the Department have to (a) visit Scotland on official business, (b) announce public appointments and (c) make Ministerial announcements in April.

Charles Clarke: Departmental business during the campaign period preceding elections to the Scottish parliament will be conducted in accordance with the Guidance on Conduct for Civil Servants in UK Departments in respect of elections to the Scottish Parliament and National Assembly for Wales, published by the Cabinet Office on 10 March.

Nursery Schools

Gerry Steinberg: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what his policy is on the continuation of nursery school development funding.

Maria Eagle: 7 million was provided nationally to develop and extend maintained nursery schools in 200001. 5 million per year has been provided nationally since 200102, and a further 5 million will be provided in 200304.
	Details of how the funding has been allocated and guidance on the use of the funding has been issued to LEAs.

Public Sector Pension Schemes

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much money he has allocated to compensate for deficits in public sector pension schemes.

Charles Clarke: The only public service pension scheme for which this Department has responsibility is the unfunded Teachers' Pension Scheme. The Government Actuary has recently produced his report on the valuation of the scheme as at 31 March 2001. As part of changes made to the long term funding arrangements of the scheme, the values of the assets and liabilities were determined to be equal at that date. As a result, the scheme has no deficit. A copy of the Government Actuary's report is available from the Library.

School Admissions Policy

David Chaytor: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what advice he has given to local education authorities with wholly selective admissions policies for secondary schools in respect of the operation of these policies; and if he will make a statement.

David Miliband: All local education authorities, including those with grammar schools in their areas, are required to comply with all relevant admissions and equal opportunities law, and the guidance in the recently revised School Admissions Code of Practice, when setting their admission arrangements.
	My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has made clear that he expects all LEAs and schools to take seriously their responsibility to raise standards of education for all children in their area.

School Bureaucracy

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what estimate he has made of the cost of reaching each of the targets outlined in Making a differenceReducing Red Tape and Bureaucracy in SchoolsSecond Report, published in March.

Charles Clarke: The costs of achieving the 125 outcomes set out in the Report are considerably outweighed by the benefits to the school workforce. None of the agencies which have committed to delivering the outcomes have raised strong concerns about doing so for costs reasons. We are all committed to eradicating or reducing burdens in schools and to raising standardsall of the outcomes made in the report are commitments to do just this and all have been agreed by relevant agencies and organisations

School Bureaucracy

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will place in the Library a copy of the memorandum of understanding between the Learning and Skills Councils and the Local Government Association referred to in Making a differenceReducing Red Tape and Bureaucracy in SchoolsSecond Report, published in March.

Charles Clarke: Copies of the 'Memorandum of Understanding' between the Learning and Skills Council and the Local Government Association have been placed in the Library.

Schools (Internet Access)

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what measures the Department has introduced to improve schoolchildren's access to computer technology.

Charles Clarke: Government investment through the National Grid for Learning programme has improved computer to pupil ratios in primary schools from 1:17.6 in 1998 to 1:9.7 in 2002 and from 1:8.7 to 1:6 in secondary schools. We expect this to improve further with an average computer to pupil ratio of 1:8 in primary and 1:5 in secondary by 2004. Annual Spend on ICT in schools will increase to over 700m in 200506 compared with 102m in 199899.

Schools (Internet Access)

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many schools in (a) the Jarrow constituency, (b) south Tyneside, (c) the north-east and (d) the UK have access to the internet; and how many of these have access to the broadband internet.

David Miliband: The information is not available in the form requested.
	It is estimated from a sample survey of schools that over 99 per cent. of both primary and secondary schools and 99 per cent. of special schools in England were connected to the internet at 31 March 2002.
	From figures supplied by the Regional Broadband Consortia and local education authorities, by end December 2002, 26 per cent. of schools in England were connected to broadband with 87 per cent. of secondary schools and 16 per cent. of primary schools having broadband connections (defined as being at 2 Megabits per second2Mbpsor faster). Of all schools in the north-east, 25 per cent. have broadband connections, a figure that is expected to rise to a minimum of 56 per cent. by August 2003. All secondary schools in south Tyneside including schools in the Jarrow constituency have broadband connections. By September 2003 all schools in south Tyneside including schools in the Jarrow constituency will have broadband.
	For information in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, I refer my hon. Friend to the Ministers responsible for education in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, respectively.

Specialist Schools

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will place a copy of the flowchart of the specialist schools application procedure in the Library.

David Miliband: The 200304 edition of the guidance for specialist school applicants, to be published in May, will include a flowchart of the application process. The chart will set out the stages which schools applying for designation in October 2003 and March 2004 need to follow as they construct their specialist school development plans. Copies of the revised guidance for specialist school applicants will be placed in the Library when it is published.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Asylum Seekers (Portsmouth)

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum seekers are residing in the Portsmouth area; how many have been placed in the Portsmouth area in the last three months; and if he will make a statement.

Beverley Hughes: This information is not available in the form requested. The availability of information on the location of asylum seekers in the UK is currently linked to the support the asylum seeker receives. Asylum seekers in the UK either receive support from the National Asylum Support Service (NASS), local authorities or the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), or are supporting themselves.
	As at the end of December 2002, the number of asylum seekers (including dependants) supported in NASS accommodation in Portsmouth was 340 and the number of asylum seekers (including dependants) receiving subsistence only support in Portsmouth was 35 1 .
	From grant claims sent to the Home Office by local authorities, as at the end of December 2002, there were 85 single asylum seekers and 25 asylum seeker families being supported by local authorities in Portsmouth.
	The number of asylum seekers dispersed by NASS to Portsmouth over the past three months is not available.
	Statistics on the number of asylum seekers supported by NASS in each local authority and Government region are available on the Home Office's Immigration and Asylum Statistics website: http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.htnril.1
	1 Figures have been rounded to the nearest five.

Census accuracy

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the accuracy of the (a) 1981, (b) 1991 and (c) 2001 censuses.

Ruth Kelly: I have been asked to reply.
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.
	Letter from Len Cook to Mr. Andrew Turner, dated 25 March 2003
	As National Statistician and Registrar General for England and Wales I have been asked to reply to your recent question on what assessment has been made of the accuracy of the (a) 1981, (b) 1991 and (c) 2001 Censuses.
	A traditional component of every census is to undertake an assessment of the accuracy of the results. In previous censuses, particularly those in 1981 and 1991, part of this process was to undertake post-enumeration surveys to measure the extent of coverage and question response that had been achieved. The detailed results of these assessments were published in a number of reports, and were summarised in the respective General Reports for these censuses, which were laid before Parliament under the provisions of section 4(1) of the Census Act.
	For the 2001 Census, the results have been subjected to a rigorous quality assurance process that followed an agreed strategy, which had been the subject of wide consultation with census users. Details of the procedures followed are set out in detail on the ONS website at www.statistics.gov.uk, and will also form the basis of a report to Parliament in due course. The usually resident population of each local authority by age and sex was considered in a consistent and detailed manner, involving comparison against diagnostic ranges derived from rolled-forward population estimates and aggregated data from administrative sources. We have assessed the consistency of each Local Authority's results with the information used for these comparisons. As well, an assessment of the quality of the diagnostic information itself is available. A series of evaluation reports on all aspects of the Census will be published this year.

Community Punishment Orders

John Randall: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people are serving community punishment orders; and what estimate he has made of the cost of administration of community punishment orders.

Hilary Benn: The number of people starting supervision by the Probation Service under community punishment orders during 2001 was 52,186. The estimated expenditure on community punishment orders in 200102 was 92.2 million. This excludes expenditure on combined community punishment and rehabilitation orders.

Correspondence

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will reply to the letter from the hon. Member for West Chelmsford, ref 3218/3.

Beverley Hughes: holding answer 17 March 2003
	I wrote to the hon. Member on 24 March 2003.

Criminal Injuries (Compensation)

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many applications for compensation were received by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority in each of the last five years; and how many of these were (a) turned down and (b) accepted in each year;
	(2)  how many cases where an application for compensation received by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority was turned down, a review was requested in each of the last five years; and how many of these reviews led to an award being made;
	(3)  how many appealed where an application for compensation received by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority was turned down at initial consideration and at review; and of these, how many appeals were successful, in each year;
	(4)  how many awards made by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority were (a) under 1,000, (b) between 1,000 and 10,000, (c) between 10,000 and 100,000 and (d) over 100,000 in each of the last five years.

Hilary Benn: The available information, supplied by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA), is summarised in the table. It relates only to applications lodged under the tariff based scheme effective for applications lodged on or after 1 April 1996. It does not include old scheme cases lodged before that date.
	The figures for the number of Review requests and appeals made include cases where a money award was offered at an earlier stage, but the level of award was not accepted. It is not possible readily to isolate for these purposes cases where the earlier decision was 'nil' award or a money award, nor, where the earlier decision was a money award if the reviewed or appealed decision resulted in a higher award, a lower award or the same award.
	The figures for the number of tariff awards made in various bandings relate only to the tariff element of the award. In up to 10 per cent. of cases additional compensation can be payable for loss of earnings and/or care costs and/or dependency costs. In the time available to answer the question it was not possible for CICA to design, validate and run the extensive query/report that would have been required to capture that data as well.
	
		Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme -- Cases determined under the tariff scheme 199798 to 200102
		
			  199798 199899 19992000 200001 200102 
		
		
			 Applications Received 77,326 78,651 78,742 76,501 78,202 
			 Applications Finalised 57,814 74,859 75,917 70,713 74,818 
			 Money Awards 31,528 40,164 39,700 36,924 39,813 
			 Refusals 26,286 34,695 36,217 33,789 35,005 
			 Review Requests 16,668 18,486 18,421 18,002 16,822 
			 Reviews Finalised 6,100 12,687 13,665 11,136 11,197 
			 Money Awards 2,533 5,065 5,692 4,681 5,032 
			 Refusals 3,567 7,622 7,973 6,455 6,165 
			 Appeals Submitted 2,555 6,421 7,054 4,651 3,683 
			 Appeals Determined 1,425 3,059 5,052 5,829 5,777 
			 Money Awards 409 1,126 2,147 2,577 2,705 
			 Refusals 1,016 1,933 2,905 3,252 3,072 
			 Awards Made (tariff element only) Level 11,000 8,437 10,103 10,305 9,370 9,717 
			 Levels 2 to 131,250 to 10,000 22,785 29,594 28,830 27,049 29,231 
			 Levels 14 to 2312,500 to 100,000 306 464 564 502 865 
			 Levels 24 and 25175,000 to 250,000  3 1 3

Detention and Training Orders

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received concerning the Detention and Training Order sentencing policy; what measures he will take to punish juvenile offenders who commit less than 6,000 of damage; and if he will make a statement.

Hilary Benn: I have received no recent representations about the Detention and Training Order, (DTO), the main custodial sentence for young people aged 12 to 17. For criminal damage of 5,000 or more a DTO sentence may be imposed. For damage of any scale in custodial establishments, the Prison Service and Youth Justice Board have developed a joint reward and sanctions strategy. This emphasises increased use of incentives, which can encourage positive behaviour and be withdrawn when negative behaviour is displayed. Most Young Offender Institutions have privilege schemes that are linked to sentence plans as well as institutional rules. For criminal damage of 5,000 or more a DTO sentence may be imposed. Where punishment is needed, this can include stoppage of earnings, restrictions on association and recreation, extra work and removal from normal Section.

Detention and Training Orders

Louise Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what his policy is on detaining the head of household in a detention centre in order to ensure that remaining members of the family abide by conditions; and when this policy was decided.

Beverley Hughes: holding answer 24 March 2003
	There is no policy which directs that a head of household should be detained, but neither is there anything to prevent this where it is considered appropriate. Use of detention is an operational matter, is used only as a last resort, and is decided according to the circumstances of each individual case.

Staff Shortages (Holloway Prison)

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many teaching hours have been cancelled at Holloway Prison over the last 12 months owing to staff shortages.

Hilary Benn: The number of education hours cancelled at Holloway from February 2002 to January 2003 was 4,564.25 hours from a total ordered provision of 18,587.75 hours (approximately 25 per cent.). The loss of hours was due to a combination of staff shortages and operational requirements to staff hospital escorts, particularly bed-watches.
	Although Holloway still suffers from staff shortages, a re-profiling exercise has been held resulting in a new staff profile of 220 officers to deliver an appropriate regime. At the end of December 2002, the shortfall of staff at Holloway was 46.5 officers, which had reduced to 37.5 on 19 March 2003. A further, 10 to 15 staff from the most recent recruitment campaign are expected to be in post by the end of May. It is anticipated that Holloway will have a near full complement by late summer 2003. With a full complement of staff, Holloway aims to deliver a full programme of education to women prisoners subject to daily operational requirements.

Home Start Schemes

Anthony Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the Home Start schemes in South Devon that have received funding; and how much was awarded as earmarked in the 2002 Spending Review.

Beverley Hughes: holding answer 18 March 2003
	Central Government does not directly fund any local Home Start in South Devon.
	However, three government departments currently provide funding for Home Start UK of 574,000. (Home Office 100,000; Department for Education and Skills 250,000; and Department of Health 224,000).
	Home Start UK provides support, advice on development and training for all local Home Starts including South Devon.

Immigration and Nationality Directorate

Oliver Letwin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the expenditure incurred by the Immigration and Nationality Directorate was (a) in total and (b) by function in each of the last three years.

Beverley Hughes: holding answer 24 March 2003
	Actual expenditure, excluding capital and cost of capital for 200001 and 200102 is as follows:
	
		
			  (4)200001 (4)200102 200203 
		
		
			 (a) Total expenditure 1,166 1,580 (5) 
			 (b) Staff pay 194 272  
			 Non pay(6) 194 212  
			 Grants 35 46  
			 Asylum support 747 1,046  
			 Other current expenditure 13 20  
			 Receipts (17) (16)  
			 Total resource 1,166 1,580 (5) 
		
	
	(4) Actual  million
	(5) The actuals for 200203 is yet to be finalised
	(6) Including staff related expenditure, IT and accommodation

Immigration and Nationality Directorate

Oliver Letwin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what planned level of (a) total resources and (b) resources by function were allocated to the Immigration and Nationality Directorate in the financial years (i) 200001, (ii) 200102 and (iii) 200203.

Beverley Hughes: holding answer 24 March 2003
	The resource budget excluding capital and cost of capital is as follows:
	
		 million
		
			  Budget 
			  200001 200102 200203 
		
		
			 (a) Total resource budget 1,166 1,666 1,737 
			 (b) Staff pay budget 227 267 343 
			 Non pay budget(7) 200 249 306 
			 Grants 40 50 48 
			 Asylum support 702 1,089 1,040 
			 Other current expenditure 10 26 25 
			 Receipts (13) (15) (25) 
			 Total resource budget 1,166 1,666 1,737 
		
	
	(7) Including staff related expenditure, IT and accommodation

Inspections (Police)

Archie Norman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many staff employed by the Audit Commission were responsible for inspecting the work of the police force in each year since 1997.

Bob Ainsworth: In addition to conducting national value for money police studies, the Audit Commission is responsible for the financial audit of Police Authorities and auditing best value performance plans. However, this question is directed at inspecting the work of the police forceresponsibility for inspecting the police service rests with her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary.

Juvenile Crime

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many incidents involving juvenile crime there were in (a) 1997, (b) 2000 and (c) 2002.

Hilary Benn: The information collected centrally on recorded crime relates solely to offences and does not contain any details of the alleged offender.
	The available information is contained in the table and relates to juveniles found guilty or cautioned in 1997 and 2000.
	
		Juveniles(8) found guilty at all courts or cautioned for all offences, England and Wales, 1997 and 2000
		
			  Found guilty at all courts Cautioned(9) Total known offenders 
			  Notifiable offences(10) Other offences All offences Notifiable offences(10) Other offences All offences Notifiable offences(10) Other offences All offences 
		
		
			 1997 61,137 18,014 79,151 98,239 6,281 104,520 159,376 24,295 183,671 
			 2000 70,140, 21,283 91,423 93,590 3,951 97,541 163,730 25,234 188,964 
		
	
	(8) Persons aged 10 and under 18.
	(9) Given reprimands or final warnings from April 2000.
	(10) Those offences covered by recorded crime.
	Note:
	Statistics for 2002 will be published in the Autumn.

Juvenile Establishments

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures he proposes to assist prison officers in juvenile establishments in preventing anti-social behaviour by juveniles within those establishments.

Hilary Benn: Juvenile regimes are designed to promote and maintain good behaviour, and to discourage anti-social activity. They are intended to provide a full, purposeful and active day, with 30 hours a week purposeful activity, focusing on education, training and personal development.
	More specifically, each juvenile establishment has a rewards and sanctions scheme; a system of adjudications for breaches of discipline; an anti-bullying strategy; and a personal officer scheme which assigns a member of staff to each young person on induction to act as contact point with outside agencies and family and, through example, to act as a positive influence on the young person's attitude and behaviour.
	Prison officers have a key role to play in the delivery of the regimes and in preventing anti-social behaviour, and they will be assisted in that role by effective training and management. Governors of juvenile establishments are required to ensure that every member of staff taking up post receives, at an early stage, suitable training for working with juveniles. A team is currently being set up within Prison Service headquarters to support Governors in fulfilling that responsibility and to help improve the quality and delivery of training across the juvenile estate, both for prison officers and managers.

Juvenile Establishments

Vera Baird: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many juveniles were sentenced to a detention and training order in each month since April 2000;
	(2)  what the average length was of the detention and training orders given in each month since April 2000.

Hilary Benn: The information requested is contained in the table.
	
		Juveniles sentenced to detention and training orders by length of sentence and month, -- England and Wales, April 2000 to December 2001
		
			 Month Number of juveniles sentenced to detention and training orders Average sentence length imposed (months) 
		
		
			 2000   
			 April 454 7.8 
			 May 538 8.1 
			 June 622 7.5 
			 July 572 7.3 
			 August 619 7.5 
			 September 563 7.6 
			 October 581 7.4 
			 November 644 7.6 
			 December 481 7.6 
			 Total 2000 (from April) 5,074 7.6 
			
			 2001   
			 January 607 6.9 
			 February 629 7.3 
			 March 637 7.5 
			 April 530 7.3 
			 May 657 7.2 
			 June 578 7.4 
			 July 612 7.3 
			 August 616 7.2 
			 September 515 7.5 
			 October 637 7.5 
			 November 644 7.6 
			 December 407 7.0 
			 Total 2001 7,069 7.3 
		
	
	Note:
	Statistics for 2002 will be published in the Autumn.

Naturalisation

Oona King: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications for naturalisation as a British citizen have been outstanding for (a) more than 13 months, (b) more than 18 months and (c) more than two years; and what the nationalities are of the applicants whose applications have been outstanding for over 12 months.

Beverley Hughes: I regret that the information requested on outstanding applications for naturalisation is not available except by examination of individual casefiles. This could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Prisoners (Self-injury)

Helen Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of (a) the relationship between prisoner numbers and self-inflicted deaths in prison and (b) measures to prevent suicides and self-harm by offenders under the supervision of the Probation Service with particular reference to those living in probation hostels.

Hilary Benn: There are many reasons why a prisoner may self-harm or attempt suicide; the general prison population contains a large number of prisoners with a combination of psychiatric disorders, alcohol and drug dependency, family background and relationship problems, histories of self-harm and previous abuse, all of which raise their risk of suicide and self-harm. It is likely that the number of self-inflicted deaths is rising because of a combination of the effects of increased prisoner throughout and an increasingly risk-laden population.
	The current operating environment is very challenging because of more prisoners being remanded to prison and greater movement of prisoners. This puts a strain on resources and makes it harder to prevent suicides. Good care and support from staff saves many lives but such instances go largely unreported. The Prison Service's approach, in close partnership with other agencies such as the Youth Justice Board, and outside organisations such as Samaritans, is to better identify and support those who seem at greatest risk, with a stress on relationships, care and the physical environment. The Prison Service's suicide prevention and self-harm reduction programme includes a series of projects to improve pre-reception, reception and induction arrangements. It also includes the exchange of information; the care of prisoners; detoxification; prisoners supporting each other, and learning from investigations into deaths in custody.
	With regard to approved probation and bail hostels, the National Probation Service last year brought in strengthened reporting requirements on deaths of residents. They are also currently developing a national suicide and self-harm awareness and prevention strategy for staff in hostels, which will strengthen existing local procedures.

Prisons (Vandalism)

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the cost was of vandalism of prison property committed by juvenile offenders in (a) 1997, (b) 2000 and (c) 2002.

Hilary Benn: The information sought is not available centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Terrorism

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps the Government is taking to protect the general public from biological and chemical threats, with particular reference to smallpox.

David Blunkett: I refer the hon. Member to the written ministerial statements I made on 3 March 2003, Official Report, column 72WS and 20 March 2003, Official Report, column 51WS.
	Up-to-date information on the threat and preparedness is also published on the Home Office website at www.homeoffice.gov.uk/terrorism.

Thai Nationals

Si�n Simon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Thai nationals, married to UK citizens, have applied for leave to remain in the UK in each of the last 12 months.

Beverley Hughes: The latest available statistics are given in the following table.
	The information relates to grants of leave to remain on the basis of marriage to a British citizen in each month in 2001. Data for 2002 will be published later this year.
	Information on the number of applications lodged or the number of such applications which have been refused are not currently available.
	
		Nationals of Thailand granted leave to remain(11) on the basis of marriage to a British citizen, by month, 2001
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 January 30 
			 February 30 
			 March 30 
			 April 40 
			 May 30 
			 June 30 
			 July 30 
			 August 50 
			 September 45 
			 October 55 
			 November 35 
			 December 20 
			 Total 420 
		
	
	(11) Excludes the outcome of appeals.
	Note:
	Data rounded to the nearest five; because of this sum of constituent items may not agree with the total as shown.

Youth Offending Teams

Alistair Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will incorporate the Commission for Health Improvement into the new inspection regime for youth offending teams.

Hilary Benn: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for East Worthing and Shoreham (Tim Loughton) on 7 March 2003, Official Report, column 1276W.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Border Security

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans there are to increase security in the Border areas of Northern Ireland through (a) watchtowers and (b) troop deployments.

Jane Kennedy: The Government are committed to seeing all aspects of the Belfast Agreement fully implemented including normalisation. Security is kept under review and the response adjusted to reflect the current assessment.

Enniskillen Massacre

Roy Beggs: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the present status is of the investigation into the 1987 Enniskillen massacre; and what assessment he has made of whether the Police Service of Northern Ireland has the necessary resources to pursue this investigation to a successful conclusion.

Jane Kennedy: The Enniskillen Bomb investigation has been the subject of a recent internal review within the PSNI conducted by a senior detective. The results of the review are currently being considered by the ACC North Region, Sam Kinkaid. The Chief Constable is committed to providing adequate resources in the investigation of the Enniskillen bomb so that the perpetrators of this atrocity are finally brought to justice.

Police Numbers

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many (a) full time and (b) part time police officers there were for North Belfast for each year since 1996.

Jane Kennedy: The following table shows the number of police officers serving in North Belfast for each year since 1996. CID Officers came under the control of respective District Commanders upon the establishment of District Command Units in 2001 therefore they are shown in addition to operational police officers.
	
		
			  Regular F/T reserves P/T reserves 
		
		
			 1996 343 154 139 
			 1997 346 139 128 
			 1998 355 147 121 
			 1999 353 145 119 
			 2000 336 128 108 
			 2001 361 (+33 CID) 130 104 
			 2002 323 (+26 CID) 109 100 
			 2003 324 (+29 CID) 85 91

Public Disorder

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people in Northern Ireland have been convicted of riotous behaviour where CCTV evidence has been used in each year since 2000.

Jane Kennedy: The research required to provide a full answer to this question represents a disproportionate cost when account is taken of convictions secured using town centre cameras, etc.
	The hon. Member may be interested to know that since the PSNI CCTV network in north Belfast became operational last year, 98 people have been convicted of various public disorder offences, including riotous behaviour, using CCTV footage as evidence.

Public Disorder

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people have been charged with (a) scheduled offences and (b) non-scheduled offences arising out of public disorder in Northern Ireland in each year since 1996.

Jane Kennedy: While the police collate a range of information on arrests and charges related to the security situation, they do not distinguish between those that are of a public disorder nature and those that are not except for the most serious of offences. The following table provides details of the number of persons charged for terrorist and serious public order offences since 1996 to the end of January 2003.
	
		Persons charged with terrorist and serious public order offences* -- 1996 to January 2003
		
			  1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 
		
		
			 Murder 9 24 13 3 8 7 0 0 
			 Attempted murder 2 26 8 6 15 0 19 0 
			 Firearms offences 56 55 49 65 54 47 51 6 
			 Explosives offences 1 9 13 12 14 15 8 0 
			 Armed robbery 28 32 35 28 16 18 35 7 
			 Other 499 259 338 182 189 170 116 9 
			 Total 595 405 456 296 296 257 229 22 
		
	
	* Includes only the most serious offence with which a person is charged.
	Notes:
	1. 'Other' includes hijacking, petrol bomb offences, membership, arson, riot, withholding information etc.
	2. Includes 'terrorist type' or 'serious public order related' charges where there is no direct link with security situation and which cannot be classified as 'Loyalist' or 'Republican'.
	3. Information beyond January 2003 is not yet available.

Terrorism

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many (a) shootings, (b) bombings and (c) other terrorist related incidents have occurred in (i) Belfast and (ii) the rest of Northern Ireland in each year since 1998.

Jane Kennedy: The tables below provide details of the number of shootings, bombings and other terrorist related incidents in Belfast and the rest of Northern Ireland since 1998.
	
		Security Situation Statistics 1 January 1998 to 28 February 2003 -- Number of deaths as a result of the security situation
		
			  Belfast area Rest of Northern Ireland 
		
		
			 1998 11 55 
			 1999 1 7 
			 2000 9 18 
			 2001 4 17 
			 2002 4 13 
			 2003 (to 28 February) 3 3 
			 Total 32 113 
		
	
	Note:
	Includes all deaths due to the security situation
	
		Number of shooting incidents
		
			  Belfast Area Rest of Northern Ireland 
		
		
			 1998 90 211 
			 1999 52 125 
			 2000 139 302 
			 2001 185 355 
			 2002 169 350 
			 2003 (to 28 February) 21 53 
			 Total 656 1,396 
		
	
	Note
	The following types of incidents are included:
	Shots fired by terrorists
	Shots fired by the security forces
	Paramilitary style attacks involving shootings
	Shots fired (and later confirmed)
	Other violent incidents where shots are fired (e.g. armed robbery)
	
		Number of Bombing Incidents
		
			  Belfast area Rest of Northern Ireland 
		
		
			 1998 16 127 
			 1999 20 82 
			 2000 22 117 
			 2001 171 349 
			 2002 120 188 
			 2003 (to 28 February) 14 22 
			 Total 363 885 
		
	
	Note:
	An individual bombing incident may involve one or more explosive devices. Incidents recorded include explosions and defusings. Incidents involving hoax devices, petrol bombings or incendiaries are excluded.
	
		Casualties as a result of paramilitary style shootings
		
			  Belfast area Rest of NorthernIreland 
			  By Loyalist By Republican By Loyalist By Republican 
		
		
			 1998 20 34 34 38 
			 1999 24 13 47 26 
			 2000 42 28 86 50 
			 2001 54 47 121 65 
			 2002 43 35 117 56 
			 2003 (to 28 February) 11 6 22 11 
			 Total 194 163 427 246 
		
	
	
		Casualties as a result of paramilitary style assaults
		
			  Belfast area Rest of NorthernIreland 
			  By Loyalist By Republican By Loyalist By Republican 
		
		
			 1998 26 21 89 55 
			 1999 13 17 90 44 
			 2000 20 25 78 54 
			 2001 16 19 93 53 
			 2002 20 25 89 50 
			 2003 (to 28 February) 1 1 11 2 
			 Total 96 108 450 258 
		
	
	Note:
	Belfast Area includes those PSNI Stations covered by Belfast East, Belfast West, Belfast North and Belfast South District Command Units.
	Statistics are provisional and are subject to minor amendment.

CABINET OFFICE

Ministerial Speeches

Don Foster: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what (a) code of conduct and (b) guidance governs (i) the placing of (A) speeches and (B) notes for speeches by Ministers (1) on their departmental website and (2) in the Library and (ii) the types of occasions and locations at which Ministers may announce new departmental policies.

Douglas Alexander: The decision on how and where to publish material is for individual Government Departments. When publishing material, Departments are required to act within the principles of propriety and effective use of public money set out in the 'Guidance on the work of the Government Information Service', the 'Civil Service Code' and the 'Ministerial Code'. These do not differentiate between the various forms of publication. All of the guidance mentioned is available on the Cabinet Office and Government Information and Communication Service websites (www.cabinet-office.gov.uk and www.gics.gov.uk)

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when she intends to reply to the letter to her dated 4 February from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Anne Tucker.

Tessa Jowell: I wrote to my right hon. Friend on 20 March 2003.

Departmental Crche Facilities

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what crche facilities are provided by her Department; and at what cost.

Kim Howells: The Department offers holiday places at four central London sites. The scheme operates during all main school holidays for children aged between five and 12 years. The cost per day is 30 of which the Department subsidises 50 per cent.

Departmental Invoices

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will list the occasions on which her departmental agencies and non-departmental public bodies failed to pay valid invoices within 30 days or after the agreed credit period in the financial year 200102.

Kim Howells: There were 270 occasions when valid invoices were not paid within 30 days by the Royal Parks Agency in 200102, and these are listed at the Annex.
	The Department is not able to list the occurrences of non-payment by its 41 non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) other than at disproportionate cost. Notwithstanding this, Treasury guidance requires all NDPBs to disclose in the foreword to their annual report and accounts a statement describing the payment policy adopted on the payment of suppliers, and performance achieved in the reporting period. The foreword should therefore provide an indication of the payment performance of each NDPB.

Departmental Website

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the total cost of her Department's website was in the last 12 months; and how many hits it received in the same period.

Kim Howells: The DCMS primary website, www.culture.gov.uk is managed in house. The only cost is for hosting the site, which was 20,000 for the server, which is also used to host a number of departmental websites.
	It received 365,305 unique visits and 5,920,848 page impressions between March 2002 and February 2003. The number of hits is not available.

Digital Services (Disabled Access)

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what measures she will introduce to allow (a) hearing impaired and (b) other disabled people to use digital TV, radio and telephone services.

Kim Howells: The Government recognise that disabled people often need terminal equipment with particular features if they are to be able effectively to access communications services. The regulation of these matters is decided at a wider European level and the standards established have effect across Europe.
	We are working with manufacturers, the disabled groups and the telephone regulator, Oftel, to draw together the expertise necessary to improve the range of equipment available to disabled users.
	The Bill also extends the Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) targets for subtitling, signing and audio description to digital cable and satellite broadcasters for the first time.

Gibraltar

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent discussions she has had with media outlets in Gibraltar.

Tessa Jowell: I have had no recent discussions with the media outlets in Gibraltar.

Licensing Bill

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment her Department has made of the effect the Licensing Bill will have on the playing of (a) darts, (b) pool, (c) skittles and (d) other games in public houses.

Kim Howells: The Bill will have no effect on playing of darts, pool, skittles or other games in public houses as we are not proposing any changes to the way these activities are regulated.

Licensing Bill

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what representations her Department has received on the impact of the Licensing Bill on games in public houses; and if she will make a statement.

Kim Howells: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport have received no representations with regard to the Bill's impact on games in public houses.

Ministerial Travel

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will list internal flights made by Ministers in her Department in 2002, including in each case the (a) cost, (b) departure location and (c) destination; and of these how many were (i) first class, (ii) business class and (iii) economy class.

Kim Howells: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Minister of State, Cabinet Office on 22 January 2003, Official Report, column 334W, to the hon. Member for Yeovil (David Laws). Detailed information about UK travel is not collected centrally, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. With regard to the number of UK flights undertaken by Ministers since 2001. I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for West Chelmsford (Mr. Burns) on 10 February 2003, Official Report, columns 55354W).

Olympic Games

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessments she has made of those cities other than London who are bidding or are expected to bid for the Olympic Games in 2012; and if she will place copies of those assessments in the Library.

Tessa Jowell: The International Olympic Committee's rules of conduct for cities wishing to organise the Olympic Games expressly forbid any published comparison by one city with others. The Government has made clear that it would not support a bid unless London had a good chance of winning. Our assessment of winnability was published as an Appendix to the Culture Media and Sport Committee's Third Report of Session 200203, A London Olympic Bid for 2012.

Ministerial Vehicles

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what her estimate is of the cost of (a) ministerial cars and drivers and (b) taxis for her Department in 2002.

Kim Howells: The cost of ministerial cars and drivers for the Department will be addressed in a letter from Mr. Nick Matheson, the Chief Executive of the Government Car and Despatch Agency to the hon. Member for Buckingham.
	The cost of taxis for the Department was 20,811 in the financial year 200102.

Scotland

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many times she has visited Scotland on official duties each year since 2000; and what meetings were held on each occasion.

Kim Howells: Visits to Scotland since Tessa Jowell has been Secretary of State are listed as follows:
	2001: 1
	2002: 2
	2003: 1
	with reference to what meetings were held.
	In line with exemptions 2 and 7 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information, it is not normal practice of Governments to release details of specific meetings or their content, as some of these discussions may have taken place on a confidential basis.

Sport Funding

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what measures she has taken to ensure that sportsmen and women in Northern Ireland who wish to compete as British competitors receive funding from the National Lottery; what measures she has taken to ensure that sportsmen and women in Northern Ireland who wish to compete on behalf of the Republic of Ireland do not receive funding from the National Lottery; and if she will list the occasions when funding from the National Lottery has been used to assist in the development of sport in a foreign country.

Richard Caborn: National Lottery funding for Northern Ireland athletes who wish to compete as British competitors is available through UK Sport's World Class Performance Programme (WCPP). The criteria for the inclusion of an athlete from Northern Ireland on the WCPP is the same as that for an athlete from any of the four home countries. Inclusion is based on sporting performance and future medal prospects.
	An athlete may have the option to compete for All-Ireland or for UK/GB. Where an athlete chooses to compete for All-Ireland, he/she would not receive funding from the UK programme.
	In addition, the Sports Council for Northern Ireland also provides National Lottery support to athlete development in Northern Ireland through Programmes such as Talented Athlete, Talented Athlete Next Generation and Talented Junior. This funding is provided for training and preparation for competition to enable the athletes to qualify for a variety of high profile tournaments eg the Olympic Games, the European Championships and the Commonwealth Games. As far as the Olympics and European Championships are concerned, athletes have a choice about which country they represent, either Great Britain or Ireland, and the choice often depends on the constitution of the Governing Body to which they are affiliated.
	However, all athletes in receipt of funding ultimately represent Northern Ireland in the Commonwealth Games, if selected.
	In accordance with the Good Friday Agreement, under which the British and Irish Governments recognise the birthright of all the people of Northern Ireland to identify themselves and be accepted as Irish or British, or both, as they may so choose, the Sports Council for Northern Ireland seeks to ensure that the structures of sport in Northern Ireland provide an equal and equitable opportunity to all to participate in a sport of their choice, for a country of their choice.
	Normally, UK Sport Lottery funding is confined to supporting the goal of winning athletes and the bidding for and staging of world class events in the United Kingdom. The UK Sport Council agreed to make a Lottery award in support of the joint bid by Scotland and Ireland to bid for the UEFA Euro 2008 Championships. It was agreed that it would be counter-productive to attempt to confine UK Sport's Lottery funding to just the Scottish element of that bid. This is the only example of its kind.

Television Licence

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate she has made of the cost of collecting the television licence in the latest year for which information is available.

Kim Howells: Statutory responsibility for collecting the television licence fee rests with the BBC. The Corporation's licence fee collection costs for 200102, as stated in the BBC's Annual Report and Accounts, were 95.4 million. Central Government costs relating to the administration of the television licensing system in 200102 were 132,000.

LORD CHANCELLOR

Departmental Website

John Bercow: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what the total cost of the Department's website was in the last 12 months; and how many hits it received in the same period.

Yvette Cooper: Website related work is not differentiated from other work in the production and publication of departmental material. The total annual cost of my Department's website could therefore not be obtained without incurring disproportionate costs.
	For the financial year 200102, my Department's website, (www.lcd.gov.uk), attracted 469,683 unique visitors (a more reliable indicator of individuals accessing web pages than hits).

WORK AND PENSIONS

Pension Supplement

Brian Iddon: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will increase the 20 pence per week supplement for 80-plus year old pensioners.

Ian McCartney: The 25 pence age addition for state pensioners aged 80 and over was introduced by the Conservative Government in 1971.
	The age addition will be maintained, but on its own it is not the most cost-effective way to help elderly pensioners. We have gone much further.
	We have introduced measures which, from October 2003, will mean that the poorest third of pensioner households will have gained over 1,500 a year in real terms.
	We have introduced free TV licences from age 75 worth over 100 a year, winter fuel payments of 200 per year for eligible households paid to some 11 million people in 8 million households, and the minimum income guarantee which means that no single pensioner has to live on less than 102.10 and no couple on less than 155.80 from April.
	We are going further still with the introduction of pension credit from October 2003.
	We have therefore found better and more effective ways to help pensioners with the lowest incomes.

Attendance Allowance

Jacqui Lait: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he stopped paying attendance allowance to people in Scotland who are receiving free personal care for the elderly; and how many people in Scotland are receiving attendance allowance.

Maria Eagle: Free personal care was introduced in Scotland from 1 July 2002. Attendance allowance continues to be payable to care home residents in Scotland who meet the costs of their accommodation without help from public funds. Those who do receive help from public funds are not eligible to receive attendance allowance.
	The latest available information is that 129,800 people in Scotland were receiving attendance allowance at 31 May 2002. This figure is based on a 5 per cent. sample of cases, rounded to the nearest hundred.

Benefits

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the amount of recoverable benefit overpayments caused by fraud and error in each of the past five years; and how much of these overpayments has been recovered.

Malcolm Wicks: Our most recent estimate is that the total annual amount of benefits overpaid due to customer error and official error taken together is around 1 billion and the total annual amount due to fraud is around 2 billion.
	We have not made an estimate of how much of these overpayments would be recoverable.
	Information on actual overpayments established and recovered for all benefits 1 over the last five years is in the table.
	1 Except overpayments in respect of housing benefit and council tax benefit, because they are recorded and recovered by local authorities.
	
		Value of total overpayments recorded and recovered from 199798 to 200102 --  million
		
			 Financial year 199798 199899 19992000 200001 200102 
		
		
			  
			  
			 Value of new recoverable overpayments 327 387 313 357 310 
			 Value of recoveries 122 169 184 177 188 
		
	
	Notes
	Data is based on recoveries shown on the Overpayments Recovery System and the Overpayment Recovery Computer System.
	Recoveries do not necessarily relate to overpayments identified in the same year.
	Source
	Programme Accounting Computer System and Financial and Management Information System.

Benefits

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in (a) England, (b) Scotland, (c) Northern Ireland and (d) Wales claimed (i) child benefit, (ii) unemployment benefit and (iii) incapacity benefit in each year since 1997.

Nick Brown: The available information is in the tables. Figures for Northern Ireland are not included, as social security matters in Northern Ireland are the responsibility of the Northern Ireland Assembly.
	
		People claiming incapacity benefit at the dates shown
		
			  England Scotland Wales 
		
		
			 31 March 1997 1,837,100 298,500 206,200 
			 31 March 1998 1,805,200 289,700 197,400 
			 31 March 1999 1,778,700 280,600 190,900 
			 31 March 2000 1,762,100 279,600 186,800 
			 31 March 2001 1,819,600 283,600 189,900 
			 31 March 2002 1,857,600 287,200 191,600 
		
	
	Note:
	Figures are rounded to the nearest hundred.
	Source:
	Figures are based on 5 per cent samples of the incapacity benefit computer system and will exclude a small number of clerically held cases.
	
		People claiming jobseeker's allowance at the dates shown
		
			  England Scotland Wales 
		
		
			 13 March 1997 1,387,500 165,600 84,500 
			 12 March 1998 1,099,200 137,600 69,800 
			 11 March 1999 1,040,900 134,400 67,300 
			 9 March 2000 916,900 121,500 58,200 
			 8 March 2001 784,300 106,500 53,400 
			 14 March 2002 759,600 103,100 47,100 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Figures are seasonally adjusted.
	2. Figures are rounded to the nearest hundred.
	Source:
	100 per cent. count from the jobseeker's allowance computer system.
	
		Number of families with children claiming child benefit at the dates shown
		
			  England Scotland Wales 
		
		
			 November 1998 6,007,900 603,800 354,400 
			 November 1999 6,021,100 602,900 354,500 
			 November 2000 6,026,200 598,500 354,000 
			 November 2001 6,016,000 596,800 355,400 
			 November 2002 6,017,400 594,700 353,900 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Data prior to 1998 are unavailable broken down by country.
	2. Figures are rounded to the nearest hundred.
	Source:
	Figures are based on a 5 per cent. sample of the child benefit computer system.

Benefits

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many roadside stops have been conducted by the Benefit Fraud Investigation Service in each of the last three years; and how many (a) investigations and (b) successful prosecutions resulted.

Malcolm Wicks: The information requested is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Benefits

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how many people have been convicted of benefit fraud on two separate occasions since April 2002;
	(2)  how many persons who were convicted of benefit fraud in each of the last four years for which figures are available had (a) one, (b) two and (c) more than two previous convictions for benefit fraud;
	(3)  how many persons claiming benefit have (a) one, (b) two and (c) more than two convictions for benefit fraud; and what the total amount claimed by such persons is, broken down by type of benefit.

Malcolm Wicks: We have taken powers in the Social Security Fraud Act 2001 to strengthen benefit fraud investigation and punish persistent offenders more severely. The provision to sanction people convicted of two separate benefit fraud offences in a three-year period, known as the 'two-strikes provision', came into force on 1 April 2002. This provision can only be applied to people who have committed, and then been convicted for, two separate benefit offences after that date.
	Information on the number of people who were convicted of benefit fraud and who had one or more previous convictions for benefit fraud is recorded only from April 2002. However, our research suggests that prior to April 2002 approximately five per cent. of prosecutions involved a person with a previous conviction for benefit fraud.
	By 28 January 2003, our records showed that four people had been convicted of benefit fraud on two separate occasions since April 2002. In two of these cases, one or more of the offences had occurred before 1 April 2002, so the 'two strikes' legislation does not apply. In the third case, sanctionable benefits are not in payment currently, but the case has been marked so that if the person reclaims benefit within the next three years a sanction will be applied. In the fourth case, sanctionable benefits are in payment and sanctions are being imposed. Information about the amounts obtained and the benefits defrauded in the four cases concerned are in the following table.
	
		Details of amounts defrauded by the four people had been convicted of benefit fraud on two separate occasions since April 2002 -- 
		
			 Case  Benefit Amount Total 
		
		
			 1 First conviction Housing benefit/council tax Benefit (HB/CTB) 2,088.58 2,312.69 
			  Second conviction HB/CTB 224.11  
			 2 First conviction Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA) 73.75 127.70 
			  Second conviction JSA 53.95  
			 3 First conviction JSA 103.86 316.01 
			  Second conviction JSA 212.15  
			 4 First conviction JSA 269.70 345.35 
			  Second conviction Income Support 75.65  
		
	
	Source:
	Two Strikes Database, Professional Standards Unit

Computer Fraud

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many cases of computer (a) hacking, (b) fraud and (c) theft his Department recorded in 200102; and on how many occasions computer systems have been illegally accessed by computer hackers (i) within and (ii) outside his Department.

Malcolm Wicks: There were no cases of computer hacking detected in 200102.
	The number of cases of fraud detected was four in 200102. Of these, all were perpetrated by insiders.
	The number of cases of computer theft detected was 89 in 200102. Of these, one was perpetrated by an insider and the remainder by persons outside the Department or unknown.

Hepatitis C (Scotland)

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement on his decision not to give evidence to the Scottish Parliament's Health Committee in connection with the Scottish Executive's Hepatitis C compensation proposals.

Malcolm Wicks: The Scottish Executive's proposal to compensate Hepatitis C sufferers who contracted the virus through contaminated blood has raised issues broader than that of the interaction with the benefit system and the responsibilities of the Department. It would be inappropriate for me to comment until discussions have reached a conclusion.

Incapacity Benefit

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many incapacity benefit claimants have been called in for medical assessment in each of the last five years; and how many have been reassessed as not qualifying for benefit.

Nick Brown: The available information is in the tables.
	
		People claiming incapacity benefit (IB) called for medical assessment
		
			  
		
		
			  
			 September 1998 to August 1999 768,653 
			 September 1999 to August 2000 616,071 
			 September 2000 to August 2001 639,923 
			 September 2001 to August 2002 783,294 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Figures prior to September 1998 are available only at disproportionate cost.
	2. Figures are for the number of invitations in respect of IB medical assessments. As some people will be unable to attend their assessments when first invited, these figures include second and subsequent invitations.
	Source:
	Figures are 100 per cent. count from Medical Provision and Contracting Team figures.
	
		Claims to IB disallowed following a medical assessment
		
			  
		
		
			 1 April 1997 to 31 March 1998 199,290 
			 1 April 1998 to 31 March 1999 202,680 
			 1 April 1999 to 31 March 2000 181,895 
			 1 April 2000 to 31 March 2001 152,085 
			 1 April 2001 to 31 March 2002 161,125 
		
	
	Note:
	Figures have been rounded to the nearest five.
	Source:
	Figures are 100 per cent. count from the incapacity benefit computer system and will exclude a small number of cases held clerically.

Incomes (Blackpool and Fleetwood)

Joan Humble: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many individuals in the constituency of Blackpool, North and Fleetwood have incomes (a) up to 10,000, (b) between 10,000 and 20,000 and (c) over 20,000 per year.

Malcolm Wicks: The information requested is not available.

Invalid Care Allowance

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much invalid care allowance would be if it had been indexed to earnings since its introduction.

Maria Eagle: The information is in the table.
	
		Estimated value of the weekly rate of invalid care allowance in April 2003 if it had been indexed to earnings from its introduction in July 1976 -- 
		
			 Weekly rate inJuly 1976 Weekly rate inApril 2003 Weekly rate inApril 2003 if indexed to earnings fromJuly 1976 
		
		
			 7.90 43.15 54.75 
		
	
	Notes:
	Average Earnings Index Whole Economy (Non Seasonally Adjusted) as published by the Office of National Statistics.
	Figures have been rounded to the nearest five pence at each uprating.
	Source
	Information Centre, Information and Analysis Directorate

Jobseeker's Allowance

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement on the number of persons fraudulently claiming jobseeker's allowance while working in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Malcolm Wicks: We estimate that, on average, during the year 200102, 32,000 people were committing fraud by claiming jobseeker's allowance while they or their partner were working. Corresponding estimates for previous years are not available.
	Notes:
	1. The above figure is the average number committing fraud at any one time during the year, and may therefore be compared to caseload figures. The total number of individuals committing the fraud over the year as a whole is likely to be considerably higher; however we do not have an estimate.
	2. These are central estimates and are subject to sampling error.

Medical Services

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to his answer of 25 February 2003, Official Report, column 496W, on medical services, what proportion of the audits carried out by medical services in the last five years were targeted audits carried out in relation to complaints from claimants about the quality of those medical reports; and what proportion of these targeted audits have been awarded grade C.

Nick Brown: Medical Services management information does not allow for analysis of targeted audit that has arisen from complaints.
	Targeted audit is used when a problem has been identified with a particular doctor, as a result of random audit, a complaint, a rework, or as a chance finding. It involves consideration of a number of reports completed by the doctor concerned, in order to gauge the overall standard of his or her work. The percentage of C grades for targeted audit is therefore higher than for random audit.
	The total number of targeted audits carried out between September 1998 and February 2003 is 9,495, of which 1,704 (17.9 per cent.) were C grades.

Pension Credit

Edward O'Hara: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the estimated expenditure will be on pension credit in 200304; and what he estimates this would be if it were claimed by all those entitled to the benefit.

Ian McCartney: Pension credit will replace the minimum income guarantee from 6 October 2003. Combined expenditure on the MIG and pension credit for the financial year 200304 is estimated to be around 5.3 billion (in cash terms). This is projected to rise to around 6.2 billion in 200405 (in cash terms).
	The Department does not produce detailed forecasts of expenditure on the basis of different levels of take-up. However as an indication of the likely expenditure on pension credit, if all those entitled claimed it, DWP simulations suggest spending might be in the region of 7.5 billion for 200405. There is likely to be a wide margin of error around this estimate as it is based on survey data, which relies on individual responses and may be subject to non-response bias.

Pension Credit

Edward O'Hara: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many and what proportion of (a) single men, (b) single women and (c) couples are expected to be entitled to pension credit in October 2003; and how many of these will be entitled to (i) guarantee credit alone, (ii) savings credit alone and (iii) both guarantee and savings credit.

Ian McCartney: The information requested is given is in the tables.
	
		Table 1: Number and proportion of single men, single women and couples that are expected to be entitled to pension credit in October 2003
		
			  Numbers entitled to pension credit in millions Proportion (percentage) 
		
		
			 Single male 0.60 49 
			 Single female 1.95 61 
			 Couple 1.05 26 
		
	
	
		Table 2: Number of single men, single women and couples that will be entitled to the guarantee credit alone, savings credit alone and both guarantee and savings credit
		
			 Numbers inmillions Guarantee credit Guarantee and savings credit Savings credit Total 
		
		
			 Single male 0.15 0.2 0.20 0.60 
			 Single female 0.45 1.0 0.55 1.95 
			 Couple 0.30 0.3 0.45 1.05 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. The estimates were calculated for all pensioners using the Department's Policy Simulation Model based on the Family Resource Survey data for 200001 projected forward to 200304. This shows around 3.6 million households entitled to pension credit.
	2. The Policy Simulation Model excludes all pensioners in nursing or residential care homes. This is because the Family Resource Survey data do not contain information on these cases. We estimate that just over 200,000 pensioners in care homes will be entitled to pension credit. This means that total pension credit entitlement for 200304 is estimated to be about 3.8 million households.
	3. The figures in the tables were rounded to the nearest 50,000 cases. The figures may not add up due to rounding.

Company Pensions

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what arrangements exist to compensate employees who lose a significant proportion of their company pension when the company goes into liquidation.

Ian McCartney: The Government are sympathetic to the situation faced by members of pension schemes who find themselves in the unfortunate position of being in a scheme that has insufficient funds to secure all its liabilities when it is wound up.
	A compensation scheme already exists to provide compensation for losses caused by dishonesty where the employer is insolvent. However, our Green Paper, Simplicity, Security and Choice: Working and Saving for Retirement, (Cm 5677), published on 17 December 2002, contains additional proposals aimed at improving protection for scheme members if their schemes wind-up. We are seeking views on removing the restrictions on the amount of compensation payable under the compensation scheme, sharing out scheme assets more fairly, insurance for schemes that are wound up due to employer insolvency and on strengthening the protection for members whose solvent employer chooses to wind up its scheme. The consultation period for the Green Paper proposals runs until 28 March 2003.

Post Office Card Account

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans he has to allow sub-postmasters to advise people on whether to open a Post Office card account for receiving benefit payments; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: The Post Office card account is one of three account options that will be available to customers if they want to access their money at the Post Office. Because the Post Office card account has limited features it will not be the best option for everyone.
	We will write to customers when it is their turn to change their method of payment. Customers will be supplied directly with information which clearly sets out their account options and enables them to decide which account is right for them. Sub-postmasters also have official Post Office leaflets, which provide factual information on the account options available, which they can give to customers.
	As neither Post Office staff nor staff in the Department are experts in giving financial advice, it would not be appropriate for them to do so. Sub-postmasters, therefore, should not advise customers on which account is most suitable. It is for customers to choose which account best meets their needs and circumstances.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Affordable Housing

Oona King: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister pursuant to his answer of 3 March 2003, Official Report, column 868W, on affordable housing, how many units of affordable housing (a) for rent and (b) for sale were built with funding generated by recycled capital grant in each year since 1997, broken down by Government Office Region.

Tony McNulty: The number of units completed by registered social landlords (RSLs) which have been funded, wholly or in conjunction with loans or RSLs reserves, from recycled capital grant fund since 1997 by region are shown in the following table:
	
		
			  199798 199899 19992000 200001 (12)200102 
			 Region Rent Sale Rent Sale Rent Sale Rent Sale Rent Sale 
		
		
			 East Midlands 0 0 5 0 24 3 125 111 15 27 
			 Eastern 0 0 0 0 4 0 99 23 45 2 
			 Greater London 0 1 1 39 25 55 135 231 46 85 
			 Merseyside 0 0 5 0 6 0 11 16 2 16 
			 North East 0 0 0 0 1 0 13 10 17 10 
			 North West 0 0 10 0 59 0 30 28 4 12 
			 South East 0 0 0 19 7 17 50 64 50 52 
			 South West 0 0 10 16 54 3 45 0 52 0 
			 West Midlands 0 0 55 26 75 7 100 19 75 16 
			 Yorks and Humberside 0 0 1 0 16 0 38 0 50 9 
			 England 0 1 87 100 271 85 646 502 356 229 
		
	
	(12) As noted in the answer on 3 March, figures for 200102 are subject to validation. These figures differ slightly from the 3 March figures reflecting further validation work undertaken since then, but are still not final.

Council Tax

Edward Davey: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what recent estimate he has made of the cost of council tax collection and enforcement to local authorities; and if he will make a statement.

Christopher Leslie: The cost to local authorities of collecting and enforcing the council tax in England is estimated to be 319 million in 200203.

Council Tax

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister pursuant to his answer of 17 March 2003, Official Report, column 609W, on council tax, what assessment he has made of the main components of the cost of collecting council tax; and if he will make a statement.

Christopher Leslie: The returns made by English local authorities to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister indicate about 30 per cent. of the gross collection costs are attributable to staff costs with the remainder being non-staff running expenses. No more detailed assessment of the cost of collecting the council tax has been made.

Council Tax

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister pursuant to his answer of 17 March 2003, Official Report, column 609W, on council tax, whether the figures he provided were gross or net of council tax benefit; and if he will make a statement.

Christopher Leslie: The figures provided related to the council tax itself and did not include the cost of council tax benefit or its administration.

Employment Records

Archie Norman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many employees of (a) the Social Exclusion Unit, (b) the Neighbourhood Renewal Unit and (c) the Homelessness Directorate have been (i) members of the Labour Party, (ii) previous employees of the Labour Party and (iii) previous employees of Labour.

Christopher Leslie: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister does not hold the information requested centrally. Previous employment records are held in individual staff files but extracting this information could be carried out only at disproportionate cost.

Fire Services Act

David Drew: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister 
	(1)  if he will make a statement on the impact of the partial repeal of section 19 of the Fire Services Act 1947 in relation to the Government's policy on decentralisation;
	(2)  if he will publish the results of the consultation on the repeal of section 19 of the Fire Services Act 1947;
	(3)  what recent discussions he has had with the Fire Brigades Union on section 19 of the Fire Services Act 1947.

Nick Raynsford: The proposed partial repeal of section 19 of the Fire Services Act 1947 is a key element in the replacement of the existing over-centralised framework for fire cover and the early introduction of the new risk-based approach recommended by the Independent Review of the Fire Service chaired by Professor Sir George Bain. The Government believe that decisions on fire cover should be taken by democratically accountable fire authorities, acting on the professional advice of chief fire officers, and after taking account of the views of local communities. The proposed repeals are also consistent with the principles, set out in the White Paper Strong Local LeadershipQuality Public Services, of giving local authorities greater freedoms and flexibilities by cutting back on consent regimes and red tape. The Bain Review, which recommended urgent repeal or amendment of section 19, invited evidence from all major stakeholders in the fire service. Since publication of the Review the Local Government Association and the Chief and Assistant Chief Fire Officers Association have repeated their support for repeal. Draft guidance on the implementation of the new fire cover arrangements and on the consultation of local communities on significant changes in fire cover were placed in the Libraries of both Houses on 5 March, and are being circulated to a wide range of stakeholders for comment.
	My right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister has met the Fire Brigades Union a number of times in recent weeks. At a meeting with Fire Service Employers and the Fire Brigades Union on 3 February the Deputy Prime Minister said that the Government had announced the proposed repeal of part of section 19 but that the Government would consult fully on the new draft guidance on the implementation of integrated risk management planning.

Firefighters' Dispute

Paul Marsden: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment he has made of (a) the capacity of Shropshire's Fire Service to maintain fire cover during the Fire Brigades Union strike on 20 March and (b) the number of military personnel able to provide fire cover.

Nick Raynsford: The proposed Fire Brigade Union (FBU) strike on 20 March did not go ahead. However, the emergency fire cover provided by the armed forces under Operation Fresco was once again made available to deal with the situation. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and the Ministry of Defence liase regularly at both ministerial level and official level, we are also in regular touch with other parties, such as Fire Authorities, to ensure that an appropriate level and range of emergency fire cover is available to minimise the risk to public safety caused by FBU strike action.

Housing

Eric Pickles: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many vacant local authority dwellings there are in England, broken down by (a) local authority area and (b) region; and if he will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: Information on the number of vacant local authority dwellings at 1 April 2002 in England, broken down by local authority area has been placed in the Library of the House.
	Numbers of vacant local authority dwellings at 1 April 2002 in England, broken down by region are tabled as follows.
	
		
			 Region Number of vacant LA dwellings at 1 April 2002 
		
		
			 North East 8,400 
			 North West 18,400 
			 Yorkshire and Humberside 15,400 
			 East Midlands 6,200 
			 West Midlands 10,800 
			 East of England 3,500 
			 London 10,000 
			 South East 3,300 
			 South West 2,200 
			 England 78,100 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Figures rounded to nearest 100.
	2. England total may not equal sum of regional components due to rounding.
	3. Regional figures include estimates for numbers of vacant local authority dwellings owned outside a local authority's boundary.
	Source:
	ODPM's Housing Strategy Statistical Appendix completed by local authorities.

Housing

Eric Pickles: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the housing stock is in each London borough in the (a) private rented, (b) council owned and (c) housing association sectors.

Tony McNulty: Estimates of the number of housing stock in each London borough in the (a) private rented, (b) council owned and (c) housing association sectors as at April 2001, are shown in the following table:
	
		Housing stock by rented sector by local authority in London at April 2001
		
			  Privately rented households(13) LA dwelling stock(14) RSL dwelling stock(15) 
		
		
			 London(16) 520,900 532,200 271,100 
			 
			 Inner London(16) 271,900 329,700 149,900 
			 Camden 25,400 27,000 8,200 
			 City of London 1,300 2,100 200 
			 Hackney 14,800 28,400 18,400 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 17,700 14,400 10,900 
			 Haringey 22,000 19,800 8,900 
			 Islington 15,300 31,400 10,600 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 24,000 7,300 11,900 
			 Lambeth 25,400 35,800 16,400 
			 Lewisham 15,400 31,400 8,700 
			 Newham 18,300 23,800 9,100 
			 Southwark 15,900 49,000 11,800 
			 Tower Hamlets 14,600 27,100 13,500 
			 Wandsworth 28,900 18,600 9,200 
			 Westminster 33,000 13,600 11,900 
			 
			 Outer London(16) 249,000 202,500 121,200 
			 Barking and Dagenham 4,700 23,000 1,900 
			 Barnet 23,500 12,100 5,300 
			 Bexley 6,700 0 13,200 
			 Brent 20,200 10,800 11,600 
			 Bromley 12,200 0 17,400 
			 Croydon 20,100 15,300 8,100 
			 Ealing 21,400 14,900 8,000 
			 Enfield 13,100 13,700 5,100 
			 Greenwich 10,700 27,600 9,300 
			 Harrow 10,800 5,900 2,300 
			 Havering 6,100 12,000 1,600 
			 Hillingdon 10,800 11,600 3,900 
			 Hounslow 13,400 15,100 5,200 
			 Kingston upon Thames 10,700 5,100 1,600 
			 Merton 13,400 7,200 3,900 
			 Redbridge 13,400 5,300 3,000 
			 Richmond upon Thames 14,500 0 9,200 
			 Sutton 7,900 9,000 3,000 
			 Waltham Forest 15,500 13,800 7,500 
		
	
	(13) Source: Census 2001 Key Statistics Table 18. Figures are number of households as at 29 April 2001. Dwelling figures from census not yet available but the difference is not expected to be significant.
	(14) Source: ODPM Housing Strategy Statistical Appendix 200102 return for stock at 1 April 2001.
	(15) Source: Housing Corporation's annual Regulatory and Statistical Return for stock as at 31 March 2001.
	(16) Figures may not add up due to rounding.

Housing

Edward Davey: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the administrative costs were of the Housing Corporation for each Government Office of the regions in each year since 19992000.

Tony McNulty: In meetings its headquarters and field office administration costs, the Housing Corporation incurred expenditure as follows:
	
		 million
		
			 Year London South Central North HQ Total 
		
		
			  
			  
			 19992000 3.825 3.303 2.997 3.627 16.195 29.947 
			 200001 4.179 3.510 3.159 3.866 15.892 30.607 
			 200102 4.372 3.913 3.379 4.150 18.287 34.100 
			 200203(17) 4.853 4.393 3.698 4.511 18.245 (17)35.700 
		
	
	(17) The 200203 costs are based on current estimates.

Local Government

Mr. Gareth Thomas: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what action he is taking to improve the quality and range of applications for senior jobs in local government; and if he will make a statement.

Christopher Leslie: The Government recognises and is taking steps to address the issue of recruitment and retention across the local government sector. I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave him on 13 February 2003, Official Report, column 93W, which sets out the wider work the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is engaged in recruitment and retention in local government and raising its profile as a good choice of career. On 19 February 2003, My right hon. Friend the Member for Greenwich and Woolwich (Mr. Raynsford) announced the full programme of Capacity Building initiatives and committed 27 million to help fund this work. This programme will help draw in top quality people by improving the attractiveness of the sector as a potential employer, and ensure the long term development of effective senior management.
	The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is working closely with the Employers' Organisation (EO) on the development of key parts of this programme. This will complement the work already being undertaken by the EO into recruitment of senior management. This includes: a consultancy service to support local authorities recruit at senior levels; a comprehensive guide to recruiting senior posts, due to be published in April 2003; and a research project to identify the main barriers to recruiting senior management to inform future work.

Parliamentary Questions

Eric Pickles: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many questions have been tabled for reply by his Department since May 2002; and on how many occasions the reply given was that (a) providing the information involved disproportionate costs and (b) the information was not available centrally.

Christopher Leslie: Since its formation on 29 May 2002 till the beginning of March 2003, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has answered 1,952 Commons Parliamentary Questions. Information on 49 questions was not held in the form requested. A further 38 questions were given a disproportionate cost answer as the information was not held centrally.

Parliamentary Questions

Paul Burstow: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many named day written questions were tabled to the Department between 15 October 2002 and 24 February 2003; how many that received a holding answer were given a substantive answer (a) within three days, (b) within seven days, (c) within 14 days, (d) within 28 days and (e) over 28 days later; and what procedures the Department has in place to monitor performance on answering (i) Parliamentary Questions and (ii) ministerial letters.

Christopher Leslie: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister uses a database that records and reports performance in answering Parliamentary Questions. This database records how many PQs are answered on time, one day late, between two and five days late, between six and ten days late and eleven or more days late. The details for Named Day PQs for the period 15 October 2002 up to and including 24 February 2003 is detailed in the table. Of the three PQs answered over 11 days after the Named Day, two were given substantive answers within 28 days and one over 28 days later.
	
		
			  Named days 
		
		
			 PQs 322 
			 On time 273 
			 Percentage 84.8 
			 1 day late 12 
			 Percentage 3.7 
			 25 days 29 
			 Percentage 9.0 
			 610 days 5 
			 Percentage 1.6 
			 11+ 3 
			 Percentage 0.9 
		
	
	The Cabinet Office, on an annual basis, publishes a report to Parliament on performance of departments in replying to ministerial correspondence. The Report for 2001 was published on Friday 24 May 2002, Official Report, column 674W. The Report for 2002 will be published in due course.

Rate Support Grant

David Ruffley: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how much the rate support grant was in (a) Suffolk county council, (b) Mid Suffolk district council and (c) St. Edmundsbury borough council in each year since 1997.

Nick Raynsford: There are two funding streams to help support revenue funding by local authorities. These are Revenue Support Grant (RSG) and redistributed non-domestic rates (NNDR). It is important to look at the total of these funding streams in order to compare support from central Government year-on-year, since the level of non- domestic rates can vary year-on-year.
	Since 1997 there have been many changes in local government functions and funding. To enable a like-for-like comparison between years, we calculate adjusted grants. The percentage change figures have been calculated on the basis of these like-for-like comparisons.
	Until the introduction of Central Support Protection Grant in 19992000, there was no need to calculate grant on a like-for-like basis, and for this reason grant comparisons in the years 199798 and 199899 are not available. There were no changes in funding and function between 199899 and 19992000 that needed reflecting in adjusted grants for 199899 to allow a like-for-like comparison; the actual 199899 values have therefore been used in this case.
	The table shows the amount of RSG, NNDR and formula grant (RSG, NNDR and the Standard Statements Assessments (SSA) Reduction Grant (where appropriate)) received by the authorities during the period. The tables also show the year-on-year changes in formula grant on a like-for-like basis.
	
		Suffolk County Council
		
			  RSG ( million) NNDR ( million) Formula Grant ( million) Percentage change in grant  
		
		
			 199798 157.459 127.736 285.195  
			 199899 159.540 134.712 294.252 N/A 
			 19992000 162.953 147.267 310.220 5.4 
			 Adjusted 19992000 162.951 147.268 310.219  
			 200001 156.949 167.715 324.664 4.7 
			 Adjusted 200001 156.250 167.339 323.589  
			 200102 172.189 164.430 336.618 4.0 
			 Adjusted 200102 149.248 163.383 312.630  
			 200203 151.530 180.585 332.115 6.2 
			 Adjusted 200203 169.029 180.585 349.614  
			 200304 191.530 179.409 370.939 6.1 
		
	
	
		Mid Suffolk District Council
		
			  RSG ( million) NNDR ( million) SSA Reduction Grant ( million) Formula Grant ( million) Percentage Change in Grant 
		
		
			 199798 1.480 2.526 0.031 4.037  
			 199899 1.428 2.579 0.000 4.007 N/A 
			 19992000 1.424 2.795 0.000 4.219 5.3 
			 Adjusted 19992000 1.424 2.794 0.000 4.219  
			 200001 1.249 3.120 0.000 4.369 3.6 
			 Adjusted 200001 1.240 3.158 0.000 4.398  
			 200102 1.476 3.145 0.000 4.620 5.1 
			 Adjusted 200102 1.272 3.252 0.000 4.524  
			 200203 1.176 3.552  4.728 4.5 
			 Adjusted 200203 1.081 3.552  4.633  
			 200304 2.176 3.036  5.212 12.5 
		
	
	
		St Edmundsbury
		
			  RSG ( million) NNDR ( million) Formula Grant ( million) Percentage change in grant 
		
		
			 199798 2.202 2.955 5.157  
			 199899 2.101 3.001 5.103 N/A 
			 19992000 2.013 3.229 5.242 2.7 
			 Adjusted 19992000 2.013 3.228 5.242  
			 200001 1.924 3.702 5.626 7.3 
			 Adjusted 200001 1.920 3.747 5.667  
			 200102 2.050 3.634 5.684 0.3 
			 Adjusted 200102 1.822 3.758 5.580  
			 200203 1.703 4.114 5.817  
			 Adjusted 200203 1.576 4.114 5.690 4.3 
			 200304 2.656 3.430 6.086 7.0

Regional Chambers

Matthew Green: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister pursuant to his answer of 12 March 2003, Official Report, column 327W, on regional chambers, what the total funding given to each chamber was for financial year 19992000; and what the total funding given to the English Regions Network was in each financial year since 19992000.

Nick Raynsford: No Government funding was given to regional chambers or the English Regions Network in the financial year 19992000. As already indicated in my answer to the hon. Member on 12 March 2003, Official Report, column 327W, the English Regions Network received 1 million in 200102, and has been allocated 200,000 for each of 200203 and 200304 on the basis of an agreed business plan.

Right to Buy

Oona King: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will place in the Library the guidance issued to district valuers about the determination of a valuation of a property being sold under the right to buy.

Dawn Primarolo: This information will be available shortly on the internet at www.voa.gov.uk under PublicationsOur Operation InstructionsRight to Buy Manual.
	Copies of Valuation Office Agency's Right to Buy Manual, which contains instructions and advice for their district valuers' staff who undertake such valuations, is being placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Tunbridge Wells and Kent Councils

Archie Norman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what (a) type and (b) value of (i) specific and (ii) special grants have been provided by central government to (A) Tunbridge Wells borough council and (B) Kent county council in each year since 1997.

Nick Raynsford: The tables give all the special and specific grants inside Aggregate External Finance (AEF) provided to Tunbridge Wells and Kent. The information is taken from the Reporting Officer forms returned on an annual basis by authorities to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister. The entries for 19972002 are actual figures. These are not yet available for 200203 and therefore budgeted figures have been given. The definition of ring-fencing was updated last year to reflect the types of grant which now exist. Some grants previously classified as ring-fenced are not now classified in this way. The key distinction made remains that ring-fenced grants are those which restrict local authority spending. For completeness the following list includes all special grants inside Aggregate External Finance. Further details of classifications are in an annex to the freedoms and flexibilities announcement of 26 November.
	
		Tunbridge Wells -- 000
		
			  199798 199899 19992000 200001 200102 200203 Budget only 
		
		
			 Emergency Planning1   
			 Total ring-fenced specific grants 0 0 0 1 0 0 
			 Housing benefit administration 158 165 164 162 150 249 
			 Council tax benefit administration 73 74 74 93 87  
			 Total unring-fenced specific grants 231 239 238 255 237 249 
			 Revenue support grant 3,242 2,972 2,872 2,749 3,103 2,787 
			 National non-domestic rates 3,279 3,292 3,503 3,913 3,871 4,352 
			 Gross AEF 6,752 6,503 6,613 6,918 7,211 7,388 
			 Percentage ring-fenced of gross AEF 0 0 0 0.01 0 0 
		
	
	
		Kent -- 000
		
			  199798 199899 19992000 200001 200102 200203 Budget only 
		
		
			 AIDS support  140 50 127 115 105 
			 Asylum seekers  4,955 22,974 49,176 46,522 34,003 
			 Building care capacity  4,447 
			 Carers grant  2,169 
			 Child care and early years1,405 3,237 16,041 
			 Children's services (Quality Protects)   1,462 2,302 5,974 10,442 
			 Civil defence  273 
			 Class size reductions   777
			 Community care special transitional grant  9,045 
			 Deferred payments  977 
			 Education budget support grant 100  
			 Education of travellers and displaced persons 275 310 
			 Emergency planning   273 252 375 260 
			 Ethnic minorities achievement grant  837 748
			 Former GM schools transitional grant375 42  
			 Magistrates courts  6,055 6,086 6,093 6,313 5,884 
			 Mental health  1,317 2,306 2,594 3,136 3,235 
			 Nursery education grant for 4-year-olds   5,861 5,964   
			 Nursery education grant for 3-year-olds  11,203 
			 Other grants within AEF  19 1,159 9,252 3,094 591 
			 Performance fund  1,254 
			 Preserved rights  30,044 
			 Probation (ordinary 80 per cent. grant)  8,221 8,872 9,781   
			 Promoting independence   7,383 7,451 9,440 3,958 
			 Provision for 3-year-olds475 5,242  
			 Residential allowances  2,269 
			 Rural bus services  1,252 1,230 1,292 1,644 1,885 
			 School budget support grant1,463   
			 Section 11 (ethnic minorities) grant 895  
			 Social services training support programme  643 514 689 791 673 
			 Standards fund 5,342 6,264 13,620 26,207 31,162 35,137 
			 Supported employment  100 24 96 103  
			 Supporting people implementation grant  700 
			 Teachers' pay reform2,896 17,637 12,000 
			 Teenage pregnancy local implementation grant  240 
			 Under-5s specific grant  5,709 
			 Young people's substance misuse grant  91 
			 Total ring-fenced specific grants 6,512 45,140 73,339 127,890 134,927 177,608 
			 The private finance initiative  331 842 885 850  
			 Total unring-fenced grants 0 331 842 885 850 0 
			 School standards grant 17,514 17,975 
			 Revenue support grant 451,972 386,147 389,996 382,868 427,589 385,874 
			 National non-domestic rates 301,690 268,337 292,938 332,884 327,578 359,413 
			 Gross AEF 760,174 699,955 757,115 844,527 908,458 940,870 
			 Percentage of gross AEF ring-fenced 1 6 10 15 15 19

Tunbridge Wells and Kent Councils

Archie Norman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many plans were (a) Tunbridge Wells borough council and (b) Kent county council required to submit to central government in each year since 1997.

Christopher Leslie: The number of plans submitted in each year to central government is set out in the following table. These figures include plans that are required from partnerships that include local authorities. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister recently announced a significant reduction in the number of plans that will be required from all authorities. Authorities assessed as excellent will themselves only have to prepare two plans, neither of which will be submitted to Government except in cases, such as Kent, in which the authority did not receive a three star rating in education. For these authorities, education plans will be required until the top rating is attained. The table, therefore, includes the three different types of education related plans that are required for 200304. The table assumes that none of the small number of other mandatory plans produced by partnerships of which Kent is a member fall due in 200304.
	
		
			 Year Tunbridge Wells Kent 
		
		
			 199798 2 4 
			 199899 3 10 
			 19992000 3 17 
			 200001 5 21 
			 200102 9 28 
			 200203 7 31 
			 200304 5 3

HEALTH

Foundation Trusts

Howard Flight: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what accounting rules will apply to NHS foundation trusts;
	(2)  whether foundation hospital trusts will be required to submit their accounts to Companies House;
	(3)  what auditing system will be applicable to NHS foundation trusts; and if he will make a statement.

John Hutton: Clauses 20 -21 of Schedule 1 to the Health and Social Care (Community Health and Standards) Bill published on 13 March set out arrangements for Public Benefit Corporations accounts.

Imported Chicken

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the detection of beef and pork proteins in imported chicken.

Hazel Blears: The Food Standards Agency has recently published results showing that some frozen chicken products on sale in wholesale outlets in the United Kingdom are not properly labelled. Twelve of the 25 samples tested contained pork DNA, and one contained beef DNA. These findings do not raise any safety concerns, but they are unacceptable, particularly since 11 of the samples containing pork DNA were labelled as Halal. The FSA is working closely with local enforcement authorities, who are now deciding what action to take against the wholesalers. It is also pursuing the matter with the competent authority in the Netherlands, where most of these products were processed.

Imported Chicken

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the findings of beef and pork DNA in Dutch chicken on sale in the United Kingdom.

Hazel Blears: The Food Standards Agency has recently published results showing that some frozen chicken products on sale in wholesale outlets in the United Kingdom are not properly labelled. Twelve of the 25 samples tested contained pork DNA, and one contained beef DNA. These findings do not raise any safety concerns, but they are unacceptable, particularly since 11 of the samples containing pork DNA were labelled as Halal. The FSA is working closely with local enforcement authorities, who are now deciding what action to take against the wholesalers. It is also pursuing the matter with the competent authority in the Netherlands, where most of these products were processed.

NHS Targets

Howard Flight: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to review the system of targets for the National Health Service after the commencement of NHS foundation trusts.

John Hutton: Improvement, expansion, reform: The next three years Priorities and Planning Framework 200306, published in October 2002 set out the targets for all national health service organisations over the coming three years.
	NHS foundation trusts will have the freedom to decide how these targets are met.

A and E Waiting Times (Hull and East Yorkshire)

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients admitted to accident and emergency in Hull and East Yorkshire in the last 12 months waited longer than 12 hours prior to admission, transfer or discharge.

Jacqui Smith: The information requested is not available in the format requested. The table shows the number of patients waiting more than four hours in accident and emergency prior to admission at Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals National Health Service Trust.
	
		
			20023 20012  
			  Q3 Q2 Q1 Q4 12 month total 
		
		
			 Number of patients admitted through major AE 6,051 6,068 6,243 5,812 24,174 
			 Patients not placed in bed in a ward within four hours of a decision to admit 252 249 260 288 1,049 
			 Percentage 4.2 4.1 4.2 5.0 4.3 
		
	
	Source:
	Hospital Activity Statistics, Department of Health

Advertising Campaigns

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the advertising campaigns which (a) his Department and (b) the NHS have commissioned since 1997; and what the costs were in each case.

David Lammy: The cost of major advertising campaigns commissioned by the Department's Communications Directorate are shown in the table.
	
		Advertising campaigns --  million
		
			  199697 199798 199899 19992000 200001 200102 200203(18) 
		
		
			 Antibiotics0.91  0.44 0.52 
			 Blood donation 0.38 0.60 1.70 0.22(19)
			 CALM(20)  0.05 0.10 
			 Drugs0.53 0.5  1.5 
			 Flu 2.01 1.45 2.0 
			 Immunisation  0.67 0.63 
			 Maternity 0.10   
			 Mind Out  0.13 0.15 
			 National health service including nurse recruitment 1.43 1.30 4.90 4.21 4.90 5.0 4.783 
			 NHS Direct  0.12 0.78 1.24 0.11 1.08 0.58 
			 Organ donation  0.02 0.77 0.47 0.43 0.18 0.21 
			 Prescription fraud   0.38  0.18  0.30 
			 Sexwise/ 
			 teenage pregnancy0.39 1.5 1.6 2.0 
			 Sexual health  0.3 1.5 
			 Social worker recruitment  0.832 1.236 
			 Smoking6.18(21) 8.97 7.79 7.873 
			 TB awareness  0.30 0.09 
			 Travel safe 0.85   
			 Walk-in centres 0.17 0.023  
			 Winter1.016 2.03 0.16 0.35 
			 Total 3.16 2.04 8.53 15.166 20.80 20.005 23.822 
		
	
	(18) Costs to date.
	(19) The Department's spend on blood donation advertising reduced in 19992000 as this activity was funded directly by the National Blood Authority, who took over full responsibility for this expenditure on 1 April 2000.
	(20) CALMCampaign against living miserably.
	(21) Prior to 19992000 advertising on smoking was undertaken by the Health Education Authority.
	Information on National Health Service expenditure is collected centrally and published annually in the Health and Personal Social Statistics for England.

Age Concern

Derek Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make funding available to Age Concern to continue the bathing and footcare service for elderly people in Sittingbourne.

Hazel Blears: holding answer 24 March 2003
	Information from the strategic health authority is that funding for this service is provided within the overall service to older people.
	Swale Primary Care Trust (PCT) provided Age Concern with funding of 24,189 in 200203 which included funding for the bathing and footcare service in the Sittingbourne area.
	The Swale PCT have confirmed they will continue to fund the services in 2003.

Amnesic Shellfish Poisoning

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to his answer of 27 February 2003, Official Report, columns 6956W, on scallop fisheries, why, when scallops in the Irish Sea were detected as containing in excess of 20mg/kg of ASP, the area of closure was not confined to the box in which the scallops were detected.

Hazel Blears: When considering closure of areas of water off the coast of Northern Ireland in such circumstances, the Food Standards Agency uses ICES (International Council for the Exploration of the Sea) areas as a means of designating particular areas of water. In every case the aim is to include any area where there is reason to think there is a hazard. Because of the very mobile nature of marine algae, it is necessary to include a safety margin to ensure protection of public health.

Smoking

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his estimate is of his Department's expenditure on publicity and advertising in relation to tobacco issues, in each year from 199091 to 200304 (planned); what value for money assessment of it has been carried out; and if he will make a statement.

Hazel Blears: For the period 199091 to 199899 public education campaigns were run by the Health Education Authority. The Department of Health took over this work in 19992000.
	The spend in the last four financial years is shown in the table. The total budget for 200304 is still to be confirmed.
	
		 million
		
			  Total spend on publicity Amount spent on advertising 
		
		
			 19992000 15.5 6.18 
			 200001 13.73 8.97 
			 200102 12.3 7.79 
			 200203 13 7.873(22) 
		
	
	(22) Amount currently scheduled to be spent on advertising
	The non-advertising expenditure funds campaign literature, specialist helplines for smokers, campaign website, research and specialist campaigns targeting other key audiences such as pregnant smokers and young people.
	It is difficult to isolate the success of the education campaign due to other factors at work such as prices, incomes, social trends etc. However, a number of different measures are in place to evaluate the effectiveness of the Don't Give Up Giving Up advertising campaign. These include prevalence surveys, quarterly tracking research, monitoring calls to the national health service smoking helpline, evaluation of media coverage and helpline referrals to local services.

Aspirin

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to commission research into the effect of aspirin in reducing the risk of cancers of the mouth, throat and oesophagus.

Hazel Blears: holding answer 18 March 2003
	The Department has no plans at present to commission research into the effectiveness of aspirin in preventing cancers of the mouth, throat and oesophagus. For all three types of cancer the main risk factors are known to be smoking and heavy drinking, and efforts to reduce these are the main preventive measures. But the Department has of course noted with interest the report published in the British Journal of Cancer of a study on the effects of aspirin undertaken at the Institute of Pharmacological Research in Milan. The Department is working closely with its partners in the National Cancer Research Institute to plan strategically national research efforts on the prevention of cancer.

Cancer

Ian Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what dietary action he has recommended to reduce the occurrence of cancer in deprived communities;
	(2)  what action the Government is taking to encourage people to increase their fruit and vegetable consumption.

Hazel Blears: The Government's 5-a-day programme, an NHS Plan commitment, aims to increase access to, and availability and consumption of, fruit and vegetables particularly in low income groups. The 5-a-day message includes the health benefits of eating at least five portions of a variety of fruit and vegetables in helping to reduce the risk of some cancers. Resources bearing a new 5-a-day logo that explains the 5-a-day message and suggests ways of increasing fruit and vegetable intake are being distributed through primary care settings.
	Following successful piloting of the 5-a-day local community initiatives by the Department, the New Opportunities Fund is providing 10 million to support another 66 initiatives based in primary care trusts (PCTs) in the most deprived areas of England. The 5-a-day handbook will help staff in PCTs and other organisations to establish community-wide approaches to increasing fruit and vegetable consumption. The New Opportunities Fund is also providing 42 million to support the National School Fruit Scheme, which will be fully operational by 2004, when it will entitle every child aged four to six in infant schools to a free piece of fruit each school day, as part of a national strategy to improve the diet of children. We are also working with industry to improve people's access to fruit and vegetables.
	In addition, there are local initiatives to increase fruit and vegetable consumption, especially but not only in low income groups, in health action zones, sure start, healthy living centres and other PCTs.

Cervical Cancer Screening

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what limitations there are on the hours of NHS staff screening for cervical cancer.

Hazel Blears: holding answer 21 March 2003
	National guidelines state that screeners can be safely and effectively utilised on cervical cytology microscopy for four hours in a normal working day 1 . The working day should be organised such that a break in continuous screening should be of at least 20 minutes' duration. This break should be taken after no more than two hours at the microscope.
	1 Laboratory Organisation: A guide for Laboratories Participating in the NHS Cervical Screening Programme (January 2003)

Chorley Hospital

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) doctors, (b) nurses and (c) other staff were employed at Chorley hospital in each of the last five years.

Jacqui Smith: The information requested is shown in the table.
	
		
			  1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 
		
		
			 Chorley and South Ribble NHS Trust 1,980 2,100 2,170 2,200 1,960 
			 Medical and dental staff 130 140 140 140 160 
			 Qualified nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff 700 750 780 770 600 
			 All other non-medical staff 1,150 1,210 1,260 1,300 1,200 
		
	
	Notes:
	Figures are rounded to the nearest ten
	Source:
	Department of Health non-medical workforce census
	Department of Health medical and dental workforce census

Department for Health and Social Care

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on his decision to abolish the Department for Health and Social Care; and what he plans to replace it with.

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to disestablish NHS Directorates of Health and Social Care; and where each of their functions will be transferred.

David Lammy: holding answer 5 March 2003
	The Department has announced a change programme, which reflects the change in its role. This includes the integration of the functions and responsibilities of Directorates of Health and Social Care into other parts of the Department, which will be completed by October 2003. The Directorates' public health function will remain co-located with the Government Offices of the Region, strengthening inter-departmental links on health protection, health promotion and inequalities.

Departmental Capital Expenditure

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish the information on capital expenditure by his Department in each month since March 2002 provided to the Office for National Statistics for the purposes of the public finances first release; and if he will make a statement.

David Lammy: No.

Digital Hearing Aids

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made on digital hearing aid provision on the NHS; and if he will make a statement.

Jacqui Smith: We have invested 30.75 million on the first two waves of the modernising hearing aid services project. As a result, there will be 50 sites providing digital hearing aids as part of a modernised service by the end of March 2003 and a further 17 trained and equipped to provide digital aids from April.
	A further 94 million has now been allocated to ensure that a modernised service is rolled out to all national health service hearing aid services in England by April 2005.

Drugs

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to discuss drugs treatment with primary care trusts.

Hazel Blears: holding answer 18 March 2003
	The Government recognises that primary care trusts (PCTs) have a crucial role to play in the delivery of effective drug treatment services. It is because of this that mechanisms have been set up to ensure that we have regular contact with PCTs and other key stakeholders.
	The National Treatment Agency for Substance Misuse (NTA) monitors the performance of all drug action team (DAT) members, including PCTs, via a DAT treatment plan, which is completed on an annual basis. Progress against this treatment plan is reviewed by the NTA, with all DAT partners, on a quarterly basis. These regular reviews ensure that all DAT partners are making a positive contribution to the effective delivery of drug treatment services.

Dyspepsia

Kevin Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what the cost to the NHS was for treatments prescribed for dyspepsia; and what percentage of this amount was spent on (a) proton pump inhibitors, (b) H2 receptor antagonists, (c) alginates and (d) antacids in each year since 1997;
	(2)  what cost savings have been made to the NHS drugs bill for proton pump inhibitors since July 2000.

David Lammy: The National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) published its guidance on the use of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) in the treatment of dyspepsia in July 2000. The guidance made a number of recommendations intended to achieve the most clinically and cost-effectiveness use of PPIs. NICE estimated that its advice, if fully implemented, could lead to a reduction in the use of PPIs. Such a reduction has not yet occurred. We anticipate that the impetus to better target these treatments will increase when NICE publishes its clinical guideline on the primary management of dyspepsia, due later this year.
	Information on the net ingredient cost of all drugs used to treat dyspepsia that were dispensed in the community in England from 1997 is shown in the table.
	
		Net ingredient cost ( million) of products for treatment of dyspepsia dispensed in the community in England
		
			 BNF description 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 
		
		
			 1.1.2 Alginates 20.2 21.1 21.5 21.5 21.5 
			 Alginates as a percentage of total dyspepsia drugs 4 5 5 5 5 
			 1.1.1 Antacids 3.1 2.9 2.6 2.5 2.4 
			 Antacids as a percentage of total dyspepsia drugs 1 1 1 1 1 
			 1.3.1 H2-receptor antagonists 169.8 139.2 124.2 83.8 53.5 
			 H2-receptor antagonists as a percentage of total dyspepsia drugs 36 31 26 19 12 
			 1.3.5 Proton Pump Inhibitors 279.1 291.1 323.1 327.8 364.4 
			 Proton Pump Inhibitors as a percentage of total dyspepsia drugs 59 64 69 75 82 
			 Grand total 472.2 454.3 471.5 435.6 441.7 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. The therapeutic classifications are based on British National Formulary sections 1.1.1, 1.1.2, 1.3.1, and 1.3.5.
	2. The data are based on prescription items dispensed in the community, ie by community pharmacists and appliance contractors, dispensing doctors, and prescriptions submitted by prescribing doctors for items personally administered in England.
	3. The data do not cover drugs dispensed in hospital or private prescriptions.
	4. The net ingredient cost (NIC) refers to the cost of the drug before discounts and does not include any dispensing costs or fees. It does not include any adjustment for income obtained where a prescription charge is paid at the time the prescription is dispensed or where the patient has purchased a pre-payment certificate.
	Source:
	Prescription Cost Analysis (PCA) data from the Prescription Pricing Authority

Dyspepsia

Kevin Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research his Department is conducting into the management of dyspepsia.

Hazel Blears: The Department funds research to support policy and delivery of effective practice in health and social care. The Department's health technology assessment (HTA) programme commissioned a systematic review of the management of dyspepsia that reported in 2001.
	The HTA programme has four current projects related to dyspepsia. These are:
	randomised trial comparing the efficacy and costs of endoscopy with Helicobacter pylori testing versus non-invasive Helicobacter pylori testing alone in the management of dyspepsia;
	systematic review and modelling of the cost-effectiveness of screening for Helicobacter pylori to reduce mortality and morbidity from gastric cancer and peptic ulcer disease;
	the place of minimal access surgery amongst people with gastro-oesophageal reflux diseasea UK collaborative study; and
	comparison of the cost effectiveness of four strategies for the prevention of non-steroidal anti inflammatory drug induced gastrointestinal toxicitya systematic review with economic modelling.
	The main Government agency for research into the causes of and treatments for disease is the Medical Research Council (MRC) which receives its funding from the Department of Trade and Industry via the Office of Science and Technology. The MRC is not currently conducting any research into the management of dyspepsia but spent an estimated 4 million in 200103 on a wide range of basic and clinical research into disorders of the digestive system. The MRC always welcomes high quality applications for support of research into any aspect of human health, and these are judged in open competition with other demands on funding.

Emergency Departments (Waiting Times)

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on waiting times in emergency departments.

David Lammy: Cutting waiting time in accident and emergency departments to improve the patient experience is a top priority for the national health service. The NHS Plan target is that no patient should wait over four hours in AE from December 2004.
	The NHS is engaged in a widespread programme of reform to deliver this, supported by the major 30 million Modernisation Agency emergency care collaborative programme.

Employee Statistics

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his estimate is of the (a) cost and (b) number of employees working in (i) research analysis and information, (ii) human resources, (iii) finance and investment, (iv) corporate affairs, (v) policy and planning, (vi) the Strategy Unit and (vii) the Communications Unit of his Department for each year from 199192 to 200304 (planned); and if he will make a statement.

David Lammy: It is not possible to estimate the cost and the number of employees working in the areas listed in the question because of the changes that have occurred in the make up and structure of the Department since 1991.
	Figures for the cost of employees working for the Department are contained within the Departmental Report, which is published annually and available from the Library (Command Paper 5403).
	Full-time equivalent numbers for staff in all civil service departments and agencies are released twice-yearly by press notice. The latest data for April 2002 was published on 31 October 2002. Copies of the annual publication are available from the Library.
	The Department's Permanent Secretary has recently initiated a major change programme, with an expectation that the number of posts in the Departmentexcluding its agencieswill reduce by at least a third by 1 October 2004. The precise implications for the number of employees working on different functions during 200304 will become clearer as the programme develops.

Expenditure (Thames Valley)

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will place in the Library the most recent estimates collated by the Thames Valley Strategic Health Authority for the forecast overspend or underspend by each NHS trust and primary care organisation in its area for 200203.

Hazel Blears: The information requested is not collected centrally. Regular financial reports are presented to the Thames Valley Strategic Health Authority board and these can be obtained from the Chairman of the Health Authority. Board papers can also be viewed on the health authority website at www.tvha.nhs.uk

External Consultants

Evan Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much has been spent on (a) external advisers and (b) consultants by his Department in each year since 199697.

David Lammy: Expenditure by the Department for each year from 199697 is shown in the table.
	
		Expenditure
		
			   million 
		
		
			 199697 14.699 
			 199798 12.694 
			 199899 7.332 
			 19992000 8.132 
			 200001 6.531 
			 200102 6.8 
		
	
	The Department's accounting systems do not distinguish between consultants and external advisers and the provision of a separate analysis could be secured only at disproportionate cost.

Food Labelling

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the percentage of consumers (a) confident and (b) not confident in food labelling claims in each of the last 10 years.

Hazel Blears: The Government do not collate detailed information on consumer confidence in food labelling claims. However, over the last three years the Food Standards Agency (FSA) has conducted an annual survey, Consumer Attitudes to Food Standards, which asks consumers whether they are concerned about the accuracy of food labelling.
	A copy of the latest survey for 2002, which contains comparative material from the previous two years, has been placed in the Library and is available on the FSA's website at www.food.gov.uk. The responses show just over a third, or 34 per cent., have concerns about the accuracy of food labelling.
	
		
			  2000 2001 2002 
		
		
			 Concern about accuracy of food labels
			 Yes (percentage) 35 35 34 
			 No (percentage) 62 62 63 
			 Number questioned (3,152) (3,120) (3,173) 
			 
			 Level of concern   
			 Very Concerned (percentage) 22 19 23 
			 Fairly concerned (percentage) 57 56 54 
			 Slightly concerned (percentage) 21 23 22 
			 Number questioned (1,042) (1,041) (1,135)

Food Standards Agency

Joan Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what factors underlay the decision by the Food Standards Agency to run a parallel exercise to the GM public debate run under the auspices of DEFRA.

Hazel Blears: holding answer 20 March 2003
	The Food Standards Agency is taking forward its genetically modified debate activities as part of its responsibility under the Food Standards Act 1999. The activities are in line with the FSA's remit by focussing on the consumer acceptability of GM foods. The Chairman of the GM public debate steering board has been kept informed of all the FSA activities since summer 2002.

Food Standards Agency

Joan Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what role the chairman of the Food Standards Agency had in approving the promotional booklet for the Food Standards Agency GM debate.

Hazel Blears: holding answer 20 March 2003
	The Food Standards Agency Chairman commented on the booklet, which was written by FSA officials and approved by the FSA's Chief Scientific Adviser. The booklet was produced to provide public information after FSA consumer research revealed very little public understanding of genetically modified food.

Foundation Hospitals

Evan Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether NHS trusts' applications for NHS Foundation trust status will be made publicly available.

John Hutton: Second stage applications for national health service foundation trust status will be made available to the public as part of each NHS trust's wider consultation with their stakeholders and local community.

Fruit and Vegetable Consumption

Ian Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what action the Government is taking to increase awareness about the health benefits of fruit and vegetables in preventing cancer.

Hazel Blears: Action to increase awareness of the 5-a-day message, which includes the benefits of fruit and vegetables in helping to reduce the risk of some cancersas well as what counts towards the 5-a-day target and how much is a portionis being taken forward through the 5-a-day programme.
	The 5-a-day programme aims to increase fruit and vegetable consumption through targeted action to improve awareness of the health benefits, and access to, fruit and vegetables, particularly in disadvantaged areas. Through the communications programme, one strand of the 5-a-day programme, resources to explain the 5-a-day message and ways of increasing fruit and vegetable intake have been produced and will be distributed through primary care settings. The National School Fruit Scheme, another strand of the 5-a-day programme, provides information materials for parents and children that also promotes the 5-a-day message. Also, a 5-a-day logo has been developed, for use in all settings, as a way of ensuring consistency in the 5-a-day message. 66 local 5-a-day community initiatives, another strand of the 5-a-day programme and supported by 10 million from the New Opportunities Fund, will also increase awareness through local media campaigns and work with schools, primary care, community groups and workplaces. Other activities include working with the food industry to ensure consistent and clear 5-a-day messages.

FSA (Illegal Imports)

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how often since 31 March 2002 the Food Standards Agency has inspected the work of (a) local and (b) post health authorities in relation to the illegal import of animal and plant products at each relevant port.

Hazel Blears: I am advised by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) that it undertakes an audit programme of local authorities which aims to ensure effective and consistent local authority enforcement of all legislation relating to food safety and standards, including that which applies to imported foods. Since 31 March 2002, the FSA has carried out audits of 89 United Kingdom local authorities, covering the full range of local authority food law enforcement activity.
	Following the Cabinet Office review of imported food controls, the FSA has been asked to lead on a project to deliver a 'step change' in the co-ordination of local authority responsibilities for the control of the legal trade in imported food products. As part of this project the FSA is extending the audit programme to include audits of port health authorities.
	All products of animal origin being imported direct to the UK from non-European Union countries must be imported via a border inspection post (BIP). The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has policy lead for BIPs.

Haemophilia

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to his answer of 6 March 2003, Official Report, column 1209W, on haemophilia, when the strategy will be put in place to roll out access to recombinant clotting factors.

Hazel Blears: The strategy will be put in place as early as possible in the 200304 financial year once key stakeholders, including patient representatives, have been fully consulted. As this process has recently started, it is too soon to give a precise date.

Health Services (Children)

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many on-site nurseries are operating in NHS establishments; how many have closed since the scheme started; and how many are expected to open this year as part of the NHS child care strategy.

John Hutton: A national baseline survey of national health service child care provision, undertaken early in 2001, found that 114 NHS trusts provided some form of nursery facilities for their staff. The NHS child care strategy has provided central funding over three years to develop up to 150 on-site nursery facilities by 2004. In the first two years of the strategy, 120 nursery schemes, including both new and extensions to existing nurseries have been funded. Of these, we estimate that around 30 have already opened and that a further 40 will be open by December 2003. The rest will open from January 2004 onwards. We intend to do a further survey of NHS child care provision in 2004.

HIV/AIDS

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cost to the NHS is of the (a) diagnosis and (b) treatment of HIV and AIDS in the latest year for which figures are available.

Hazel Blears: holding answer 19 March 2003
	The cost to the national health service of the diagnosis of HIV and AIDS is not separately identified. For 200102, the NHS received a separate allocation totalling 279 million for HIV prevention and treatment and care. From 200203 funding for HIV/AIDS was included as part of NHS main allocation and is not separately identifiable.

Home Care

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the (a) average and (b) maximum home care charges made by each local authority in the Eastern region are.

Jacqui Smith: Information on home care charges levied by local authorities is not held centrally.

Hospital Food

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the implementation of the Better Hospital Food Programme in NHS hospitals; when he last met the chairman of the programme; and how much funding he has allocated to the programme for (a) 200304, (b) 200405 and (c) 200506.

David Lammy: Details of the numbers of hospitals meeting the key targets of the Better Hospital Food initiative by June 2002 are shown in the table.
	To date 28.5 million has been allocated in support of this programme. Final decisions regarding funding for 200306 have not yet been made.
	The Chairman of the Better Hospital Food panel, Mr. Loyd Grossman, meets regularly with Ministers to discuss the Better Hospital Food programme. The most recent meeting took place on 5 December 2002 with my noble Friend, the then Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health, the Lord Hunt of Kings Heath. Both my noble Friend and Mr. Grossman also participated in the Better Hospital Food conference on 21 January 2003.
	
		Acute hospitalsBetter Hospital Food implementation updateJune 2002
		
			  All acute hospitals(360) London region(54) Midlands Easternregion (90) Northern(121) Southern(95) 
			  Number Percentage Number Percentage Number Percentage Number Percentage Number Percentage 
		
		
			 Ward kitchen services 256 71.5 38 70.4 65 72.2 85 70.2 68 71.6 
			 Snack box service 210 58.7 32 59.3 44 48.9 71 58.7 63 66.3 
			 Additional snacks 183 51.1 31 57.4 37 41.1 59 48.8 56 58.9 
			 Main meal evening 280 78.2 46 85.2 70 77.8 96 79.3 68 71.6 
			 Leading chef dishes 142 40 21 38.9 22 24.4 52 43 47 49.5 
		
	
	Note:
	The table shows the number of hospitals meeting the key targets of the Better Hospital Food initiative by June 2002.

Human Cloning

Jim Dobbin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress is being made towards developing an international consensus on the issue of human cloning.

Hazel Blears: The United Kingdom already has a legal ban, the Human Reproductive Cloning Act 2001 that prevents any attempts to carry out reproductive cloning.
	The United Nations is working towards a convention to ban reproductive cloning. The UK is very much in favour of this initiative but does not agree with those who wish to see an extension of any ban to cover therapeutic cloning.
	The UK Government agrees with the House of Lords Select Committee report on stem cell research in 2002 that there is a powerful case for the use of therapeutic cloning, under strict regulation, as a research tool. Such research is permitted under the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990 and the Human Fertilisation and Embryology (Research Purposes) Regulations 2001.

International Nurse Recruitment

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to his answer of 5 February 2003, Official Report, column 225W, on international nurse recruitment, how many overseas nurse recruitment agencies have been invited to sign the international nurse code of conduct.

John Hutton: The Department has invited 115 commercial agencies who internationally recruit healthcare professionals to sign up to the code of practice for national health service employers who are involved in the international recruitment of healthcare professionals.

Midwifery

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 10 March 2003, Official Report, columns 10305W, on midwifery, 
	(1)  what the attrition rate was for midwifery students in each year since direct entry to midwifery was introduced; and what proportion of midwives who completed their training and became eligible to register as midwives (a) registered and (b) practised in each of those years;
	(2)  how many individuals are (a) eligible to register as midwives, (b) registered as midwives and (c) practising as midwives.

John Hutton: The Department holds information for attrition from direct entry midwifery courses from the 199495 cohort onwards. A table showing information on students' progress for each complete cohort from 199495 is shown as follows:
	
		Midwives training progress as at October 2001 -- Percentage
		
			 Year Eligible to register(23) Discontinued (attrition)(24) Interrupted(25) Active(26) 
		
		
			  
			  
			 199495 81.2 17.2 0.1 1.5 
			 199596 76.9 17.9 0.5 4.7 
			 199697 73.0 21.8 1.5 3.7 
			 199798 76.3 17.1 0.9 5.7 
		
	
	(23) Those midwives who have completed their training and are eligible to register with the English National Board and therefore apply to join the NHS.
	(24) Students who have left the course (attrition).
	(25) Students whose training has been interrupted (for individual reasons)
	and may continue at a later date.
	(26) Students who are still in training
	Source
	English National Board for Nursing and Midwifery
	Information from the Nursing and Midwifery Council on midwives on the register and intending to practise is available from the website at www.nmc-uk.org.uk. Information on midwives going on to practise in the National Health Service after completing training is not collected centrally.

Midwifery

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the rights, acquired during accession negotiations, of Polish midwives to practise in the UK and elsewhere in the European Union; what consultation took place (a) with relevant UK bodies, including the Royal College of Midwives and (b) within and between government departments; what representations he has received regarding this; what assessment he has made of its impact on public health; and if he will renegotiate what freedom there is to this matter during the remaining stages of the accession process.

John Hutton: The agreement on Polish midwifery qualifications was reached at the Copenhagen European Council in December, as part of an overall package that came within the budgetary ceiling for enlargement agreed at Berlin in 1999. Negotiations on the Treaty are now closed. Once ratified, the Accession Treaty, which will be signed by Heads of State and Government in Athens on 16 April, will provide for the recognition of Polish midwifery qualifications on the same basis as for those awarded by other member states.
	Qualifications awarded following training begun after accession will comply with minimum community requirements and be automatically recognised. In other cases, evidence of recent and substantial professional experience in Poland may be required.
	The Department has neither consulted United Kingdom bodies nor received representations from them on this matter. I very much welcome the contribution to public health made by overseas-qualified staff. Once registered in the UK, all midwives are subject to equally demanding standards of conduct, practice and local statutory supervision.

Military Service (Salisbury)

Robert Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many clinicians from Salisbury District Hospital, by speciality, have been called up for military service since January; and if he will make a statement on the implications for health care in Salisbury.

Hazel Blears: Two members of staff from Salisbury District Hospital have been called up for military service. One is a consultant orthopaedic surgeon and the other is a senior nurse. Salisbury National Health Service Trust has put in place contingencies to cover the immediate situation and currently does not expect a major impact on services provided as a result of call-ups for military service. Contingency planning is on-going between the Department and the trust to minimise the effect of any call-up.

Mobile Phone Masts

Helen Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment has been made of the effects of mobile phone masts on human health; what current research he has commissioned on the effects of mobile phone masts on human health; what comparison he has made of the level of emissions from mobile phone masts in the UK with those in other European countries; and what plans he has to regulate the level of emissions from mobile phone masts.

Hazel Blears: The public health implications of mobile phone base stations were assessed by the Independent Expert Group on Mobile Phones (IEGMP), chaired by Sir William Stewart. Their report, issued in May 2000, was a comprehensive review of relevant research and can be found on the Group's web site at www.iegmp.org.uk. A main conclusion was that:
	The balance of evidence indicates that there is no general risk to the health of people living near to base stations on the basis that exposures are expected to be small fractions of guidelines.
	Measurements undertaken, since publication of the IEGMP report, by the National Radiological Protection Board (NRPB) and the Radiocommunications Agency (RA) have confirmed that public exposures are very much lower than the international guidelines: www.nrpb.orgsee publications NRPB R-321 and www.radio.gov.uksee mobile phone base stations.
	The Stewart Group proposed that gaps in knowledge were sufficient to justify a precautionary approach to the development of this technology and recommendations were made for further research. A comprehensive research programme has now been established under an independent programme management committee. Information can be found on the web site at www.mthr.org.uk.
	The UK uses the same GSM/mobile phone technology and frequencies as other European countries. Measurement programmes exist in a number of European countries. Wide variations in emissions data are noted, but the measurements show emissions are significantly inside the exposure guidelines. Similar results have been obtained by the RA base station audit programme and by the NRPB in the United Kingdom.
	Mobile phone and mast emissions fall within the Radio equipment and Telecommunications Terminal Equipment Directive (RTTE). The European Commission issued a mandate requesting the European standardisation bodies prepare and adopt harmonised standards covering the aspects of emissions of electro-magnetic frequencies covered by the RTTE Directive. It was stated that standards should take into account the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) limits laid out in the Council Recommendation 1999/519/EC to allow presumption of conformity to Article 3.1(a) of the RTTE Directive.
	Three groups of standards on measurement of exposure from mobile phone masts have been, or are in the process of being agreed. Upon completion of this family of standards the mobile operators will have clear obligations to comply with the ICNIRP Guidelines though the European Council Recommendation on exposure, the RTTE Directive and the relevant standard. In the absence of a final harmonised measurement standard, the obligation under the RTTE Directive and the Recommendation would still apply.

Neonatal Intensive Care

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of neonatal intensive care provision; and if he will make a statement.

Jacqui Smith: A national review of neonatal intensive care provision has been undertaken, which addresses how best to assure equity of access to intensive care for premature and critically ill babies and support for their families. Ministers are currently considering the report following from this review and expect to determine the next steps in this process shortly.
	We are also currently developing the children's national service framework, which includes maternity services and will set national standards of care for antenatal, intrapartum and post natal services as well as for the care of children in hospital.

NHS Dentists (Buckinghamshire)

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) adults and (b) children in Buckinghamshire are waiting to go on to the list of an NHS dentist.

Hazel Blears: This information is not collected centrally.

North Staffordshire Hospital

George Stevenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) doctors, (b) nurses and (c) other staff have been employed on (i) an agency and (ii) a non-agency basis at the North Staffordshire hospital in each year since 19992000.

David Lammy: The information requested on agency staffing is not collected centrally. The data for non-agency staff are shown in the table.
	
		Hospital, Public Health Medicine and Community Health Services (HCHS): Staff employed at the North Staffordshire hospital on a non-agency basis; 19992001
		
			  1999 2000 2001 
		
		
			 All staff 5,980 5,990 6,420 
			 Medical and dental staff 530 530 530 
			 All non-medical staff 5,450 5,460 5,890 
			 Of which:
			 Qualified nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff 1,940 1,950 2,120 
			 Other non-medical staff 3,510 3,510 3,770 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Figures have been rounded to the nearest 10.
	2. Figures exclude agency staff as this data is not collected.
	Source:
	Department of Health Non-Medical workforce census
	Department of Health medical and dental workforce census

Nursing Care (Elderly)

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the recent report by the Ombudsman on the funding of nursing care for the elderly.

Jacqui Smith: The Government has welcomed the Health Service Ombudsman's report, NHS funding for Long Term Care, published on 20 February. We have since asked strategic health authorities to report back to their Directorate of Health and Social Care (DHSC) by 28 March, with details of:
	Whether continuing care criteria in use since 1996 were consistent with the Coughlan Judgment.
	If criteria were not consistent with the Coughlan judgment, when was this identified and what action was taken.
	An estimate of the number of people who may have been wrongly assessed under criteria not consistent with the Coughlan judgment.
	We have announced our intention to amend the regulations to be made under the Community Care (Delayed Discharges etc.) Bill, to ensure that assessments for fully funded continuing National Health Service health care are carried out before discharge from hospital. This will ensure that nobody is issued with a clause 2 notice (notice from the NHS to say that a patient requires social services on discharge from hospital) before an assessment for continuing NHS health care, informed by the single assessment process, has been carried out.
	We have written to the Commission for Health Improvement and asked that continuing care is included within the inspection of the national service framework for older people, due to begin in 2004.

Nursing Vacancies (Thames Valley)

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many three month vacancies there are for nursing posts in each NHS trust in the Thames Valley Strategic Health Authority area; and what the three month vacancy rate is in each case.

Hazel Blears: The Department's three-month vacancy survey has been collected yearly since March 1999. The most recent number of three-month nursing vacancies in each national health service trust in the Thames Valley Health Authority area is shown in the table.
	
		Department of Health Vacancies Survey, March 2002 -- Vacancies in NHS Trusts in England and in the Thames Valley Strategic Health Authority area, qualified nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff 3 month vacancy rates, numbers and staff in post
		
			  3 month vacancy rate percentage 3 month vacancy number Staff in post (whole-time equivalent) Staff in post (headcount) 
			  March 2002 September 2001 
		
		
			 England (excluding HA staff) 3.1 8,394 265,717 329,981 
			 Thames Valley 3.7 362 9,653 12,885 
			 Berkshire Healthcare NHS Trust 2.9 17 676 850 
			 Buckinghamshire Mental Health NHS Trust 0.7 2 344 401 
			 East Berkshire Community Health NHS Trust 6.2 13 226 341 
			 Heatherwood and Wexham Park Hospitals NHS Trust 10.6 94 893 1,213 
			 Milton Keynes General Hospital NHS Trust 7.8 49 564 818 
			 Nuffield Orthopaedic NHS Trust 0.0 0 244 335 
			 Oxford Radcliffe Hospital NHS Trust 1.7 37 1,952 2,350 
			 Oxfordshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust  0   
			 Oxfordshire Learning Disabilities NHS Trust 7.0 6 91 106 
			 Oxfordshire Mental Healthcare NHS Trust 0.0 0 390 470 
			 Royal Berkshire and Battle Hospitals NHS Trust 0.9 11 1,214 1,713 
			 Royal Berkshire Ambulance NHS Trust n/a n/a   
			 South Buckinghamshire NHS Trust 4.8 40 783 1,090 
			 Stoke Mandeville Hospital NHS Trust 5.9 36 547 750 
			 Two Shires Ambulance NHS Trust 0.0 0 54 70 
		
	
	3 month vacancy notes:
	1. Three month vacancy information is as at 31 March 2002
	2. Three month vacancies are vacancies which Trusts are actively trying to fill, which had lasted for three months or more (whole time equivalents)
	3. Three moth Vacancy Rates are three moth vacancies expressed as a percentage of three moth vacancies plus staff in post
	4. Three month Vacancy Rates for non-medical staff are calculated using staff in post from the Vacancy Survey, March 2002
	5. Percentages are rounded to one decimal place
	6. '' figures where sum of staff in post (as at 31 March 2002) and vacancies is zero
	7. n/a = did not receive a return.
	Staff in post notes:
	1. Staff in post data is from the Non-Medical Workforce Census, September 2001
	2. Staff in post data excludes staff employed by Health Authorities, as vacancy information was only collected from Trusts, PCTs and Special Health Authorities
	3. '' figures where staff in post (as at 30 September 2001) is zero
	General notes:
	1. Vacancy and staff in post numbers are rounded to the nearest whole number
	2. Calculating the vacancy rates using the above data may not equal the actual vacancy rates
	3. Due to rounding, totals may not equal the sum of component parts
	4. StHA figures are based on Trusts, and do not necessarily reflect the geographical provision of health care
	Sources:
	Department of Health Vacancies Survey, March 2002
	Department of Health Non-Medical Workforce Census, September 2001

Obesity

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many obese people there are in the UK population; and what evaluation he has made of the average resultant cost to the NHS per individual.

Hazel Blears: holding answer 19 March 2003
	The Health Survey for England 2001 shows that the prevalence of obesity continues to rise and that 21 per cent. of men and 23.5 per cent. of women were obese. Analysis of the Health Survey for England 1999 showed the prevalence of obesity in children was 10 per cent. at age six rising to 17 per cent. at age 15.
	Information is not available on the direct cost for each individual to the national health service of treating obesity. However, the National Audit Office report Tackling Obesity in England, published in February 2001, estimated that the direct cost to the NHS of treating obesity in 1998 was 9.4 million. Treating the consequences of obesity cost the NHS approximately 480 million per year, or about 1.5 per cent. of the total NHS expenditure for that year.
	The Government are committed to halting the current trend of increasing overweight and obesity in both children and adults through cross-government work on diet and physical activity.

Obesity

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many children were diagnosed in each region as being clinically obese in each of the last 10 years.

Hazel Blears: The prevalence of overweight and obesity is increasing in children in England. Information is not collected centrally on how many children are diagnosed as being clinically obese in each region. However, analysis of the Health Survey for England 1999 estimated the prevalence of obesity to be 10 per cent. at age six rising to 17 per cent. at age 15.

Orthodontic Treatment (Buckinghamshire)

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the waiting time is for (a) primary and (b) secondary orthodontic treatment in Buckinghamshire.

Hazel Blears: The information on waiting times for orthodontic treatment that is available is the number waiting for a first outpatient appointment at a hospital and the number waiting for admission to hospital for orthodontic treatment.
	At 31 December 2002, 59 patients were waiting for a first outpatient appointment for orthodontic treatment in Buckinghamshire. 39 of these patients had been waiting less than 13 weeks; the remaining 20 of these patients had been waiting 13 weeks or more.
	There were no patients waiting for admission to hospital for orthodontic treatment in Buckinghamshire at 31 December 2002.

Orthodontic Treatment (Buckinghamshire)

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average figure is for the number of decayed, missing or filled permanent teeth for children aged 12 in Buckinghamshire.

David Lammy: The British Association for the Study of Community Dentistry (BASCD) carries out surveys to monitor the dental caries experience of 12-year-old children. The most recent survey of 12-year-olds was carried out in 200001. The results of this survey for Buckinghamshire are shown in the table.
	
		Average number of decayed, missing and filled teeth for children aged 12 in 200001
		
			  
		
		
			  
			 Buckinghamshire Health Authority 0.62 
			 South East 0.68 
			 England 0.86

Orthodontic Treatment (Buckinghamshire)

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average figure is for the number of decayed, missing or filled teeth for five-year-olds in Buckinghamshire; and what percentage of five-year-olds in Buckinghamshire have no dental decay.

Hazel Blears: The British Association for the Study of Community Dentistry (BASCD) carries out surveys to monitor the dental caries experience of five-year-old children. The most recent survey of five-year-olds was carried out in 200102. The results for the Buckinghamshire area are shown in the table. Information is given for three of the four primary care trusts (PCTs) in the former Buckinghamshire Health Authority area and also for the Thames Valley Strategic Health Authority.
	
		
			  Average number of decayed, missing or filled teeth Percentage of five-year-olds with no tooth decay 
		
		
			 Aylesbury Vale PCT 1.11 69.4 
			 Milton Keynes PCT 0.97 66.8 
			 Wycombe PCT 1.02 75.2 
			 Chiltern and South Buckinghamshire PCT n/a n/a 
			
			 Thames Valley Strategic Health Authority 1.23 66.4 
			
			 England 1.47 61.2

Peto Institute

Jane Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what financial support he has given to (a) the Peto Institute and (b) connected institutions in the last 10 years.

Jacqui Smith: The Government contributed 1.75 million towards the capital costs of a new International Peto Institute in Budapest in 1991, in return for benefits for United Kingdom residents. Due to lack of progress on construction, the funding remained, unspent and accruing interest, in Hungary until 1997 when it was agreed that what was then approximately 2 million would be used to extend and refurbish the existing Peto Institute.
	In addition, the Department of Health provided a grant of 40,000 in 199596, under section 64 of the Health Services and Public Health Act 1968, to the National Institute of Conductive Education in Birmingham for computer equipment.

Pharmacies

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what steps he is taking to ensure that pharmacies are located conveniently for (a) those living in rural communities and (b) patients and their relatives who do not have access to a car;
	(2)  how many pharmacies (a) opened and (b) closed during each of the past six years; and what progress has been made in expanding the number of pharmacies in the UK;
	(3)  what progress has been made in broadening the range of services and advice provided by local pharmacies;
	(4)  what discussions he has had with primary health care trusts on the role of local pharmacies.

David Lammy: Under the National Health Service Act 1977, it is the responsibility of national health service primary care trusts (PCTs) to arrange the provision of pharmaceutical services in their area. This includes determining whether it is necessary or desirable to secure adequate provision of services by granting applications to open new NHS pharmacies. Additionally, the Health and Social Care Act 2001 empowers PCTs to devise contracts for local pharmaceutical services which address particular local needs, including access to a NHS pharmacy.
	We launched Pharmacy in the FutureImplementing the NHS Plan in September 2000. This sets out the Government's programme to maintain and improve access to and the range and quality of services offered by NHS pharmacies. Three waves of the medicines management collaborative are under way, involving 106 PCTs. All NHS Direct sites are now able to refer callers where appropriate to their local community pharmacy. Repeat dispensing schemes in selected sites which enable patients to get their pharmacy to dispense medicines for up to a year, rather than going back to their general practitioner for a new prescription each time and new arrangements for pharmacists to prescribe on the NHS in accordance with an agreed clinical management plan start later this year.
	We are currently discussing with the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee and the NHS Confederation, which represents NHS bodies including PCTs, a new national contractual framework to further support these objectives.
	The table shows the number of pharmacies opening and closing in England and Wales in the last six years. Over three in five pharmacies opening were more than one kilometre from the nearest pharmacy. Over one in two pharmacies closing were within 500 metres of another pharmacy.
	
		
			 Year ending 31 March Number of NHS pharmacies opening Number of NHS pharmacies closing 
		
		
			 1997 66 55 
			 1998 48 46 
			 1999 51 56 
			 2000 27 37 
			 2001 36 40 
			 2002 30 34

Pharmacies

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many independent pharmacies are located in mining villages; and how many he expects to be located in mining villages in five years' time.

David Lammy: holding answer 24 March 2003
	Under the National Health Service Act 1977, it is the responsibility of primary care trusts to arrange the provision of pharmaceutical services in their area. There is no national planning of pharmaceutical services. We do not, therefore, collect information centrally about which industries are locally significant in towns and villages where pharmacies are located. Nor do we predict either where pharmacies are likely to be located in the future, or whether there will be changes to the nature of local economies in towns or villages where pharmacies are currently located.

Pharmacies

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many qualified pharmacy staff there are in (a) the Portsmouth area and (b) the UK; and if he will make a statement.

John Hutton: The available information on national health service employed pharmacists in England and the Isle of Wight, Portsmouth and South East Hampshire area is shown in the table.
	Information on the number of community pharmacists is not collected centrally and information for Scotland and Wales is a matter for the devolved Administrations. While the institutions in Northern Ireland are dissolved, responsibility rests with Ministers in the Northern Ireland Office.
	Between September 1997 and 2001, there has been an increase of 2,140 or 26 per cent. in the number of qualified pharmacists employed in the NHS in England. As at 30 September 2001, there were 10,630 qualified pharmacists employed in the NHS.
	The Government are looking to achieve an increase in staff numbers across all scientific, therapeutic and technical staff groups, including hospital pharmacists. 'Delivering the NHS Plan, published in April 2002, set out the Government's latest forecast for growth. By 2008, we expect the NHS to have net increase over the September 2001 staff census of at least 30,000 therapists and scientists, including pharmacists. To support this, we are increasing the number of pre-registration pharmacy training places in NHS hospitals. Over 550 were planned for 200203at least 60 per cent. more than were available 10 years ago.
	
		NHS Hospital and Community Health Services (HCHS): Qualified scientific, therapeutic and technical staff within the pharmacy area of work in England and Isle of Wight, Portsmouth and South East Hampshire HA area, by organisation, as at 30 September 2001
		
			  Whole-time equivalent Headcount 
		
		
			 England 9,372 10,633 
			
			 of which:   
			 Isle of Wight, Portsmouth and South East Hampshire HA total 117 135 
			 Isle of Wight PCT * * 
			 Isle of Wight, Portsmouth and South East Hampshire HA * * 
			 Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust 94 106 
			 Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Trust 20 25 
		
	
	* Five or less and greater than zero
	Notes:
	1. Figures are rounded to the nearest whole number.
	2. Due to rounding totals may not equal the sum of component parts.
	3. HA figures are based on Trusts, and do not necessarily reflect the geographical provision of healthcare.
	Source:
	Department of Health Non-Medical Workforce Census

Pharmacies

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS prescriptions were dispensed (a) in total, (b) through community pharmacies, (c) through hospital pharmacies and (d) through GP surgery pharmacies in each of the last six years.

David Lammy: The information available is shown in the table.
	
		Million
		
			  Total (all dispensers) 1 Community Pharmacy and Appliance Contractors 2 Dispensing Doctors and personal administration 3 Items prescribed in hospital and dispensed in the community 4 
		
		
			 2001 587.0 533.1 53.9 3.7 
			 2000 551.8 500.5 51.3 3.1 
			 1999 529.8 481.9 47.9 2.7 
			 1998 513.2 467.1 46.1 2.4 
			 1997 500.2 454.3 45.8  
			 1996 484.9 441.0 43.9  
		
	
	Notes:
	1. The data are for all national health service prescription items that were dispensed in the community in England.
	2. It is not possible to separate figures for community pharmacists from those for appliance contractors.
	3. Includes all items that are personally administered by GPs.
	4. These items are included in total (all dispensers).

Pharmacies

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of prescriptions currently dispensed by community pharmacists are for pensioners.

David Lammy: In the 12 month period to September 2002, 56 per cent. of the prescriptions dispensed by community pharmacists and appliance contractors were to people aged 60 and over.

Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy

Jonathan Djanogly: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research (a) has been conducted and (b) he intends to commission into (i) the causes and (ii) potential treatments for reflex sympathetic dystrophy.

David Lammy: The main Government agency for research into the causes of and treatments for disease is the Medical Research Council (MRC), which receives its funding from the Department of Trade and Industry via the Office of Science and Technology. The MRC is not currently funding any research on reflex sympathetic dystrophy. The MRC always welcomes high quality applications for support into any aspect of human health and these are considered in open competition with other demands on funding.
	The Department funds research to support policy and delivery of effective practice in health and social care. The Department is not currently funding any research on reflex sympathetic dystrophy and has no plans to commission such work.

Royal Shrewsbury Hospital (Contingency Provisions)

Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what contingency plans the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital is making for (a) cover for health professionals called up to serve in the Territorial Army and (b) the possibility of terrorist attacks.

David Lammy: All national health service bodies are required to develop contingency plans to enable them to cope with the current international situation. The Department of Health is working with the Ministry of Defence to minimise disruption to NHS services. In common with all NHS organisations, the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital NHS Trust has robust plans for dealing with the aftermath of any possible terrorist attack.

Special Advisers

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many special advisers in the Department (a) have left and (b) will be leaving to work in Scotland for the Labour Party in the forthcoming Scottish parliamentary elections.

David Lammy: The rules relating to special advisers' political activities are set out in the Model Contract for Special Advisers. Further guidance in respect of elections for the Scottish Parliament is set out at paragraph 13 of the Guidance on Conduct for Civil Servants in United Kingdom Departments, published by the Cabinet Office on 10 March.
	The reasons for a special adviser's resignation are a private matter between the Department and adviser and are therefore exempt from disclosure under paragraph 12 of the Code of Practice on Access to Information.

Seroxat

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of comments made by the coroner in the case of Mr. Whitefield about the drug Seroxat; and what plans he has to request a review of the safety of Seroxat.

Hazel Blears: Following the tragic death of Mr. Whitefield two weeks after commencing treatment with paroxetine (Seroxat), an antidepressant of the Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor (SSRI) class, the Medicines Control Agency (MCA) has taken careful note of the comments of the coroner for Brecon. The MCA has also written to the coroner to obtain further details of Mr. Whitefield's case.
	Since it was authorised in 1990 the safety of paroxetine (Seroxat) has been closely monitored by the MCA and the Committee on Safety of Medicines (CSM). The CSM has considered the question of suicidal behaviour in association with Seroxat on a number of occasions and carefully assessed any new data. CSM has concluded that there is insufficient evidence to confirm a causal relationship between SSRIs and suicidal behaviour.
	CSM has advised that it is general clinical experience that patients taking any antidepressant may develop an increase in suicidal behaviour in the first few weeks of treatment. Product information for prescribers and patients for all SSRIs has been amended to include warnings that suicidal behaviour may increase in the early stages of treatment with any antidepressant. In September 2000, an article was published in the drug safety bulletin, Current Problems in Pharmacovigilance, which is distributed to all doctors and pharmacists.
	An expert working group on the safety of SSRIs has been set up by the CSM to review the current available evidence relating to the safety of SSRIs, including paroxetine, particularly in relation to suicidal behaviour and withdrawal reactions. The expert working group will report its findings to CSM in due course.

Sexual Assault

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what compulsory training school nurses undertake in (a) sexually transmitted infections and (b) sexual assault; and what training they undergo designed to ensure that a comprehensive advice and referral service is available to pupils.

Hazel Blears: While there is no compulsory additional training for school nurses specifically around sexually transmitted infections and sexual assault, as registered nurses they would be expected to have knowledge and understanding of these issues as well as details of local services should referral be appropriate. Standards for qualification as a specialist practitioner in school nursing specify that the practitioner should be able to:
	Empower children, adolescents and their families to influence and use available services, information and skills to the full and act as advocate where appropriate.
	Initiate the management of cases involving potential or actual physical or psychological abuse and potentially violent situations.

Urological Cancers (NICE Guidance)

David Hinchliffe: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he has taken to provide instructions to strategic health authorities and local cancer networks to take account of the possible whole service impact of their interpretation of implementation of the NICE guidance on improving outcomes in urological cancers; and if he will make a statement.

Hazel Blears: holding answer 17 March 2003
	In line with the principles of Shifting the Balance of Power, the Department of Health has issued no specific requirement to Strategic Health Authorities or cancer networks about interpretation or implementation of this guidance. It will be for cancer networks, in collaboration with local stakeholders including StHAs, to decide how best to implement this guidance.